The fantastic achievement of Malorie Blanc

What a day. Who could have imagined, upon waking up this morning, witnessing such an achievement. And yes, there is no point mincing words, this was a monumental feat. At just 22 years old, Malorie Blanc secured her first victory among the elite in the Crans-Montana super-G, ahead of Italy’s Sofia Goggia and American Breezy Johnson.

On her 20th World Cup start, “Malo” rewarded the thousands of spectators who came to support her. Raising her finger in the finish area as she realised the scale of her performance, the skier from Ayent was fully aware of the symbolism, given the heavy circumstances at present. “I’m with the people, really. With the people who are here, the people up there.”

After spending long minutes caught up in the whirlwind following her victory, Malorie Blanc was visibly emotional. “I’m so proud of the people from my region. Here, people truly love skiing. I knew it would be a great celebration even without a win. So to experience this… it’s incredible.”

Above all, the 2024 Junior World Champion in super-G was delighted by the connection she was able to share with her home crowd. “I could never have imagined something like this. This morning, I told myself: there’s sunshine, lots of people, a great atmosphere… it’s going to be a lovely day. But to imagine this? Never in my life,” added the champion. “It’s just incredible, it’s the beauty of skiing. And to be able to show it here in Crans-Montana, I think it really has a special meaning.”

Especially since, while the Mont Lachaux slope is her favourite on the circuit, Malorie Blanc had suffered a serious left knee injury there two years ago, at a time when she was in the form of her life. “Honestly, I didn’t think about it,” she said. “Right now, it’s a childhood dream coming true at home. I’m going to have sore cheek muscles.”

Photo: Agence Zoom