BRATISLAVA, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- The reigning World Cup champion Federica Brignone was Saturday beaten only by her compatriot Marta Bassino in the first event of the 2020-21 giant slalom season in the Austrian resort of Soelden.
Slovakian contender Petra Vlhova finished third.
"I have tried to change several things going into my second run and it worked. I let my skis off the leash. I am truly happy; this is my best result in Soelden so far. I proved to myself that I can still win races," said Vlhova after the race. Her previous best was 8th place from four years ago.
Bassino was leading by a mile since the first run and managed to hold on to her position that resulted in her career's second World Cup victory.
Brignone trailed by 0.14 seconds, starting her journey to defend her overall World Cup title with a promising result. However, no spectators were allowed to witness it due to coronavirus safety measures. Enditem