Women’s World Cup skiing returns to Beaver Creek with first downhill training day at Birds of Prey

BEAVER CREEK — Beaver Creek welcomed the women of the World Cup to its famed Birds of Prey downhill course on Wednesday.

“We’re really lucky to finally have the home field,” said U.S. Ski Team veteran Jacqueline Wiles, who made her World Cup debut the last time a women’s race was held in Beaver Creek, back in 2013. Wiles finished 43rd that day on the Raptor course, which was built for the 2015 world championships.

“But to now be on the famous Birds of Prey, it’s more special for sure,” the 32-year-old continued, adding that the course has more “intense steeps” and wilder terrain than Raptor. “There’s constantly more coming at you.”

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Italian Federica Brignone posted the fastest time on the day, gunning the 705-meter course, which starts 154 feet lower than the men’s, in 1 minute 34.13 seconds.

“I was feeling good. I was really excited this morning,” the 34-year-old said after her training run.

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“It was even better than I thought; it was easier than I thought. I have some lines to modify, but I understood the speed that it is and how the bumps are working, how and when I can tuck, where I have to attack more and not be too aggressive,” the three-time Olympic medalist continued. “So, I will watch videos tonight of the girls and try to learn a lot from the others.”

The Birds of Prey downhill course has hosted World Cup races annually since 1997, but the women have only raced once on the famed track — a super-G on Dec. 7, 2011. Lindsey Vonn won that race as three Americans placed in the top 11.

On Wednesday, Vonn was in a unique position as forerunner.

“I mean, I would prefer to be racing here, but beggars can’t be choosers,” Vonn said to gathered media at the finish area. “I guess I’m just getting back into the swing of things so again, it’s a natural progression, it makes sense, it feels good.”

The first forerunner was another well-known skier with a Vail connection: Six-time Olympian Sarah Schleper. Like Vonn, Schleper competed in the four FIS-level speed races at Copper Mountain on Dec. 7 and 8.

The super-G and downhill double-gold medalist from the 2015 world championships in Beaver Creek, Lara Gut-Behrami was second in Wednesday’s training run. The defending overall, super-G and GS globe winner (and second-place finisher in the downhill cup standings) finished 0.39 seconds behind Brignone, as Marta Bassino and Ilka Stuhec were third and fourth, respectively.

Four-time downhill crystal globe winner Sofia Goggia — who will be competing in her first race since breaking her tibia and malleolus of her right foot in a Feb. 5 GS training run crash in Ponte di Legno — was 12th.

The top Americans were Isabella Wright and Lauren Macuga, who finished 14th and 15th, respectively.

“I think I was a little nervous in the start,” Macuga admitted before describing the snow as slower than expected. “So, I had more time to lay it over and do a clean arch. It was fun.”

Wright also said it was intimidating seeing the hill in person.

“In inspection, it’s quite steep — the camera does not do it justice,” the 27-year-old Salt Lake City native said. “But actually, I think the way they set it controlled the speed quite a bit for us … I think there is a lot more speed to be had than all the girls showed today, so we’ll see the next couple of days how it runs.”

Wright said she’s been dreaming of racing the course since she came to watch as a 4-year-old with her parents.

“I looked up to this race because of the men and I was dreaming of skiing this one day,” she said. “Finally, now that I’m here, it feels so full circle.”