Skiing: Brignone wins 2nd world cup overall title

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 23 - Italy's Federica Brignone on Saturday night won her second world cup overall title after the downhill at Sun Valley was cancelled due to heavy snow meaning the last races of the season would not take place and she had mathematically beaten Swiss rival Lara Gut-Behrami.
    the 34-year-old Val d'Aosta born skier, who won the first overall title by an Italian woman skier in 2020, also took this year's downhill title.
    "I was focused on myself all season. Today was a very strange day, but I was calm and I would have tried to do my best anyway, also to take the downhill cup, which is truly special," Brignone told Sky Sport. "I'm proud of the work I've done over the years and obviously this season to improve my weak points in downhill," the Italian continued, "especially on the sliding part. It's truly extraordinary." Howver, she also said she was focusing on Sunday's superG, where she is also aiming to clinch the speciality title.
    "Today was a 'race of tension', we inverted the program by working out in the morning and then the idea of ;;racing at three in the afternoon wasn't the best, it was strange.
    "However, I was sure I would do better than yesterday in the trials and that I could compete until the end on the track.
    "If they had told me at the beginning of the season, I would never have believed I would arrive at the Finals as the first in the rankings, even in the downhill.
    "I would have liked to do the race today but sometimes it happens that you can't. I'm very excited but also focused on tomorrow, because I will compete for another specialty world cup".
    The Italian skier is the most successful Italian woman ever.
    Brignone is second in the world cup race win tally only to the great Alberto Tomba, with 37 victories to his 50.
    She also has two Olympic silvers and a bronze as well as two world golds and three silvers.
    Overall, she has 84 podium finishes.
    As well as her two overall world cup titles, she has another three: one each in giant slalom, superG and combined. (ANSA).