Alice Robinson Claims NZ’s First Alpine World Cup Medal in 17 Years

Grandvalira Soldeu, Andorra (17 March 2019) – New Zealand ski racer Alice Robinson has claimed New Zealand’s first Alpine Ski Racing World Cup medal in 17 years, finishing with a silver medal in Giant Slalom at the FIS Alpine World Cup Finals in Andorra overnight (NZT). The 17-year-old finished 0.30s behind Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) who holds the world number one ranking on the World Cup tour. Current World Champion Petra Vlhova (SVK) finished in third place.

“It’s amazing to be able to share my first podium with these two athletes,” said Robinson. “They have been the most dominant on the tour this season so it’s amazing.”

The last NZ athlete to podium at a FIS Alpine World Cup was Claudia Riegler in Slalom in 2002.

Click this link to watch Alice's second run and watch a post-race interview below.

Robinson earned her start at the World Cup Finals as the current Junior World Champion in Giant Slalom. She has been turning heads this northern hemisphere season with a string of impressive results including a Europa Cup win and two Europa Cup silver medals, seventeenth place – including the fastest second run time – at the World Championships in Sweden in February, and a 16^th-place finish at the World Cup in Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE on 8 March.

“It’s crazy, it’s a little bit surreal, a perfect day,” said Robinson after the race.

The last racer to start, in bib 21, Robinson skied in to third place with her first run and kept her focus for a blistering second run which saw her jump in to the silver medal spot.

“After the first run I was in third and I knew just to keep calm and ski another good run and hopefully it would keep me in the same position. I’m just really happy to move up,” said Robinson.

This is the final race of the season for Robinson who will now return to New Zealand and resume her Year 13 studies at high school in Queenstown.

Mikaela Shiffrin capped off the most successful World Cup season in history on Sunday by claiming her 60^th career victory in the ladies’ Giant Slalom. She completed the 2018/19 winter by collecting her third consecutive Overall Crystal Globe, sixth Slalom globe, first Super-G globe and first Giant Slalom globe.

Results  

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