Anna Fenninger Wins Back-To-Back Giant Slalom Races, Seizing World Cup Lead

Anna Fenninger, the silver medal winner in the giant slalom at the recently concluded Sochi Olympics, won a World Cup giant slalom race for the second straight day Friday to leap into the top spot in the overall Alpine World Cup standings.

Racing in an event in Are, Sweden, the 24-year-old from Adnet, Salzburg in Austria also won the first giant slalom race on Thursday. On Friday, she edged Germany’s Viktoria Rebensburg by 0.61 seconds. The race was run through a steady rainfall, as was the silver medal race in Sochi where Anna Fenninger took her silver medal.

“It’s just amazing. It was a fight in the second run,” Fenninger said. “I’m so happy that I can win two times in Are.”

The two straight victories pushed Anna Fenninger past Germany’s Maria Hoefl-Riesch in the overall Alpine World Cup standings. But Sweden’s Jessica Lindell-Vikarby, who finished third in Friday’s race, still holds the top spot in the giant slalom standings, by a mere 14 points over Fenninger — who leads Hoefl-Riesch in the overall standings by just seven points, 1,151 to 1,144.

Since the Sochi Olympics where Anna Fenninger also took home a gold medal in the Super-G event, she has won two of three World Cup races since Sochi, finishing second in the other race.

Fenninger said she is a bit baffled by her success this season so far.

“I just feel comfortable on my skis and try to go fast as I can and not to think about anything else but skiing,” said Fenninger. I don’t know why I’m so fast to be honest. It feels really good to be in such a good shape and that it is working out that way.”

Five races remain in the World Cup season, starting on Saturday when the overall lead is expected to change hands once again, going back to Hoefl-Riesch.

The best World Cup season Anna Fenninger has experienced came in 2011 when she finished 12th overall and won two of 12 races.

Image: Mitch Gunn / Shutterstock