Canadian Grenier wins her second Golden Fox giant slalom

Finishing 4th in the first run, Grenier put in a storming second run to beat the rest of the pack, including Slovak Petra Vlhova, who had to settle for 4th in the end after coming out as the top finisher in the first run.

Lara Gut-Behrami of Switzerland came in second after improving her standing by a spot (+0.37 sec) and Italian Federica Brignone (+0.51) finished third, having placed second in the first run.

Brignone has kept her lead in the World Cup standings in the discipline, while US champion Mikaela Shiffrin remains in the lead in the overall Alpine skiing World Cup standings after finishing 9th today.

Grenier and Shiffrin won each one of the two giant slalom races in Kranjska Gora last year. Grenier was the first Canadian woman to win a World Cup giant slalom race in 49 years, while Shiffrin matched the women's World Cup skiing record of 82 victories in Kranjska Gora.

"I feel like I have no words, I'm just so happy, so proud, it's crazy," Grenier said to FIS TV after chalking up just her third career podium and second win.

"I wanted to do as well as I could, I was hoping for a podium. After the first run I was pretty mad at myself for my mistakes, and after the first run I really wanted to win because I was so [annoyed]."

She told Radio Slovenija that she was happy with the piste on the Podkoren slope, that it was solid and the snow was super fine.

The only Slovenian to qualify for the second run, Ana Bucik did not make it to the finish line after placing 19th in the first run.

"I'm obviously disappointed, I wanted to make it to the finish, but I think my approach was the right one, I tried to give my best ..., up until I skied out I'm quite happy. I'm sorry but it's no point brooding over it, rather get ready for the race tomorrow," said Bucik.

Despite the poor weather, some 3,000 supporters gathered in the Slovenia's most popular ski resort for the Golden Fox, which used to be held in Maribor but has since been relocated due to repeated problems with mild conditions.

Kranjska Gora will host a women's slalom race on Sunday.

* Results:
1 Valerie Grenier (CAN) 1:50.51 56.90 53.61
2 Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI) 1:50.88 +0.37 56,70 54.18
3 Federica Brignone (ITA) 1:51.02 +0.51 56.57 54.45
4 Petra Vlhova (SLK) 1:51.12 +0.61 56.55 54.57
5 Thea Louise Stjernesund (NOR) 1:51.69 +1.18 57.39 54.30
6 Sara Hector (SWE) 1:52.10 +1.59 57.34 54.76
7 Franziska Gritsch (AUT) 1:52.20 +1.69 57.77 54.43
8 Alice Robinson (NZL) 1:52.28 +1.77 57.89 54.39
9 Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) 1:52.39 +1.88 57.53 54.86
10 Marta Bassino (ITA) 1:52.41 +1.90 57.57 54.84

* World Cup standings
overall (15/43):
1 Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) 929 pts
2 Federica Brignone (ITA) 697
3 Petra Vlhova (SLK) 622
4 Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI) 549
5 Sofia Goggia (ITA) 450
6 Sara Hector (SWE) 418
7 Valerie Grenier (Kan) 321
Michelle Gisin (Švi) 321
9 Lena Dürr (Nem) 270
10 Cornelia Hütter (AUT) 240
...
38 Ana Bucik (SLO) 83
41 Ilka Štuhec (SLO) 79
43 Andreja Slokar (SLO) 76
53 Neja Dvornik (SLO) 45
...

giant slalom (6/11):
1 Federica Brignone (ITA) 460
2 Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI) 445
3 Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) 349
4 Valerie Grenier (CAN) 303
5 Petra Vlhova (SVK) 297
6 Sara Hector (SWE) 272
7 Alice Robinson (NZL) 192
8 Sofia Goggia (ITA) 160
9 Marta Bassino (ITA) 143
10 Franziska Gritsch (AUT) 128
...
23. Ana Bucik (SLO) 46
39. Neja Dvornik (SLO) 13