Val Grenier has made a triumphant return to the resort of her first World Cup triumph.
The Canadian skier won a giant slalom Saturday on the same hill in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia where she celebrated her maiden career victory a year ago.
“I’ve been close to the podium so many times this season it feels great to stand on it today,” Grenier told Alpine Canada. “Coming off last season’s win here I felt a little more pressure this morning. I had a big mistake in the first run, and I was very determined in the second run to really go for it so it’s very rewarding to get the win.
“I’m not really sure why it seems to be a really good hill for me, and that last pitch is always one of my best parts. I’m not really sure why it just seems to be fitting for me, but I will take it.”
The St. Isidore, Ont., native concluded in a two-run time of one minute 50.51 seconds.
Grenier was fourth after the opening run but her 53.61 mark was tops in all second runs to take the win on the Podkoren course.
Looming in fourth, Grenier posted the best time in the second run on a course set by Canadian coach Pierre Miniotti and saw the three fastest racers from the opening leg all fail to beat her.
“I feel like I have no words. I am just so happy, so proud. It’s crazy,” said Grenier, who has placed inside the top 10 in all six World Cup GS races this season.
Last year, she became the first Canadian to win a women’s World Cup giant slalom in 49 years. She ended the season with another GS podium at the World Cup finals in Soldeu, Andorra.
Grenier, who was the junior world champion in downhill in 2016, has no World Cup podiums in other disciplines.
