Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, 14 February 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Italy's Federica Brignone claimed a major event gold at last in the giant slalom after several near misses when she dominated the world championship race in style.

Brignone was fastest in both runs in Saalbach to claim the gold a week after super-g silver, nine-tenth of a second ahead of Alice Robinson, whose silver was a first-ever medal at alpine worlds for New Zealand.

Paula Moltzan earned from for the United States, with a huge deficit of 2.62 seconds.

Brignone had previously won alpine combined gold in 2023 but in the giant slalom had to be content with three silvers and a bronze from worlds and Olympics.

"This was my dream, the gold in GS. For so many years I was always second. This is maybe the best day of my life," said Brignone, who has won 14 of her 32 World Cup races in the discipline.

Norway's Thea Louisa Stjernesund missed the podium by one-hundredths of a second in fourth, Swiss 2021 winner Lara Gut-Behrami was fifth, and Olympic champion Sara Hector of Sweden sixth from 109 original starters.

Not competing was American defending champion Mikaela Shiffrin, who said she was not fit enough for the discipline in her return from injury.

Shiffrin won gold with Breezy Johnson in the team combined and will also race in Saturday's slalom where she has medalled at the last six worlds with four golds, a silver and a bronze.

Photo: EPA