Malorie Blanc / GEPA pictures

Women’s Super-G, Crans-Montana: Blanc delivers a home win as Johnson puts the Stifel U.S. Ski Team on the podium

Crans-Montana delivered the kind of bluebird Super-G day racers dream about — grippy snow, great light, and a course the women could truly attack. And attack they did, with a stunning hometown breakthrough from Switzerland’s Malorie Blanc, and a massive moment for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team as Breezy Johnson charged onto her first World Cup Super-G podium.

Top 5

• 1st 🇨🇭 Malorie Blanc (SUI) — bib 17 — +0.00 — 2004 — Atomic
• 2nd 🇮🇹 Sofia Goggia (ITA) — bib 13 — +0.18 — 1992 — Atomic
• 3rd 🇺🇸 Breezy Johnson (USA) — bib 29 — +0.36 — 1995 — Atomic
• 4th 🇮🇹 Roberta Melesi (ITA) — bib 2 — +0.42 — 1996
• 5th 🇩🇪 Kira Weidle-Winkelmann (GER) — bib 18 — +0.44 — 1996

Top Five — Women’s Super-G Standings (entering the Olympics)

• 1st 🇮🇹 Sofia Goggia (ITA, 1992, Atomic) — 280 pts
• 2nd 🇳🇿 Alice Robinson (NZL, 2001) — −60
• 3rd 🇺🇸 Lindsey Vonn (USA, 1984, Head) — −90
• 4th 🇫🇷 Romane Miradoli (FRA, 1994) — −99
• 5th 🇨🇭 Malorie Blanc (SUI, 2004, Atomic) — −127

How the race unfolded

Austria’s Ariane Rädler opened the day by setting the first benchmark (1:17.95), but Italy quickly took control. Roberta Melesi (bib 2) tightened her line and lowered the mark to 1:17.76, immediately putting pressure on the early favorites.

The first major threats followed quickly. Kajsa Vickhoff Lie couldn’t unseat the then-leader and skied into the finish +0.46 at the time, while Alice Robinson — still searching for her best top-end speed — came close, just +0.09 back. As the race unfolded, Robinson would eventually slide to sixth (+0.51).

Then the race turned dramatic. Italy’s Elena Curtoni (bib 8) went down and did not finish, another major contender erased. Soon after, Germany’s Emma Aicher (bib 12), the Tarvisio Super-G winner, crashed in the same turn that ended Lindsey Vonn’s downhill day. Aicher was able to get up and ski to the finish.

Italy’s speed queen answered next. Sofia Goggia (bib 13) grabbed the advantage early, gave time back through the middle, then re-attacked with trademark aggression to take the lead by 0.24, lighting up the timing board with her on-the-limit style.

While Vonn appeared on the start list — a sign her team believed there was a chance — it remained a game-day decision. In the end, she did not start as she continues to recover from Friday’s downhill crash.

The emotional center of the race was also at the top. Federica Brignone racing a Super-G was a significant moment — her first speed discipline start since last spring’s injury. She skied solidly, finished safely (18th, +1.28), and took another encouraging step as she builds toward Cortina.

Blanc shocks the field in front of her home crowd

Then the stadium erupted.

Switzerland’s Malorie Blanc (bib 17) delivered the run of her life in her own backyard — fast, clean, and right on the edge of control — vaulting into the leader’s chair and eventually into her first World Cup victory. With Switzerland eager for a new speed headline after losing its top Super-G skier earlier this season, Blanc’s breakthrough could not have come at a better moment.

Blanc had never stood on a World Cup Super-G podium before — and now she was winning in front of a sold-out home crowd in Crans-Montana.

“It’s incredible, and I still have a little trouble realizing it,” Blanc said. “I’ll wait until the end just to be sure it’s real. It means so much to me — to show this to my fans and to people who love skiing. I really wanted to do something great here, and I’m very thankful I could do it.”

Blanc admitted the run itself didn’t feel perfect.

“The feeling wasn’t that good on the slope,” she said. “I thought I was making some mistakes, but I just kept going. Then I crossed the finish line and heard the crowd — it was sold out — and I thought, ‘OK, maybe it’s not that bad.’ I’m just so happy.”

With the Olympic Winter Games next on the calendar — and Crans-Montana the final race before Cortina — Blanc said she isn’t looking too far ahead yet.

“I’m just living the moment,” Blanc said. “It will be my first Olympics, so I want to enjoy it and see what happens.”

Goggia continues strong season

While Malorie Blanc thrilled the home crowd with her breakthrough victory, Sofia Goggia continued her strong Super-G campaign with a second-place finish, reinforcing her momentum heading into the Olympic Winter Games.

“I’m really happy with my performance today,” Goggia said. “My January wasn’t that good, especially in downhill, but I knew this hill suited me, so I just tried to ski my best.”

Goggia said there were still areas she felt she could improve, but she was satisfied with the way she attacked the course in the final race before the Games.

“I made a mistake in the middle and didn’t carry enough speed there,” she said. “But I’m really happy with the way I’ve been attacking the race.”

Breezy Johnson makes it a Stifel U.S. Ski Team celebration

Breezy Johnson delivered one of the biggest results of her career, charging to third place (+0.36) for her first-ever World Cup Super-G podium — a huge moment for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team in the final race before the Olympics.

“I’ve been working on Super-G for a really long time,” Johnson said. “I respect Super-G — I think it’s the hardest event. I always wanted to be good at it, but I didn’t expect that run to be what got me to the podium.”

Johnson said her focus was to keep attacking even when things got messy.

“I just tried to keep it running,” she said. “Every time I made a mistake, I forgot about it and kept going.”

The run felt fast but unpredictable.

“It’s almost like downhill,” Johnson said, “but there were places where it was a little all over the place. Down at the bottom I thought I was about to straddle that gate, so that was a little crazy.”

The timing of the result mattered as much as the result itself.

“I hadn’t even qualified to race the Super-G in Cortina before today,” Johnson said. “I really wanted to race that Super-G, so I just wanted to come out and give it my best.”

Bocock builds Olympic confidence with top-15 result

For Mary Bocock, Friday’s Super-G was a meaningful step forward at exactly the right time.

“It’s very exciting, especially after yesterday was a tough day for all the girls mentally and with the conditions,” Bocock said. “I was a little nervous today, but I’m very, very happy with how it went.”

Bocock said the technical nature of the Crans-Montana course played to her strengths.

“I love this track because it’s very technical,” she said. “I’m really happy I was able to execute my plan.”

The 15th-place finish marked one of the best results of Bocock’s young World Cup career and sends her to the Olympic Winter Games with confidence.

“This is amazing because now I’m going from my best result straight into the Olympics,” Bocock said. “It gives me confidence knowing I can ski well, and Cortina can also be a pretty technical track.”

Bocock said the feedback afterward reinforced that confidence.

“They just kept saying, ‘Good job, Mary,’” she said. “They told me I looked a little loose, which I was, but also that I looked confident — and that’s always good to hear.”

More fireworks: Pirovano disqualified after leading late

Italy’s day could have been even bigger. Lara Pirovano was leading with one split to go before missing a gate just before the finish and being disqualified. Even so, the message is clear: the Italians are skiing very fast as they head toward their home Olympics.

Bibs 31+ who finished inside the top 30

• 15th ⚡ 🇺🇸 Mary Bocock (USA) — bib 38 — +1.16 — 2003
• 17th 🇺🇸 Jacqueline Wiles (USA) — bib 47 — +1.27 — 1992
• 21st 🇦🇹 Julia Scheib (AUT) — bib 32 — +1.39 — 1998
• 27th 🇮🇹 Nicol Delago (ITA) — bib 42 — +1.81 — 1996 — Atomic
• 28th 🇨🇭 Priska Ming-Nufer (SUI) — bib 48 — +2.15 — 1992 (highest bib in top 30)
• 29th 🇨🇭 Janine Schmitt (SUI) — bib 34 — +2.16 — 2000

USA skiers in the top 30

• 3rd 🇺🇸 Breezy Johnson (USA) — bib 29 — +0.36 — 1995 — Atomic
• 15th 🇺🇸 Mary Bocock (USA) — bib 38 — +1.16 — 2003
• 17th 🇺🇸 Jacqueline Wiles (USA) — bib 47 — +1.27 — 1992
• 19th 🇺🇸 Tricia Mangan (USA) — bib 21 — +1.32 — 1997 — Head
• 25th 🇺🇸 Keely Cashman (USA) — bib 16 — +1.61 — 1999 — Head

Stifel U.S. Ski Team depth: five women in the points

Beyond Johnson’s podium, it was another statement day for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team: five women scored points, a strong performance from a very strong squad. Bocock’s surge was particularly encouraging — only her second points result after the season-opening St. Moritz Super-G (the race that secured her Olympic spot), and she attacked today with unmistakable Olympic energy.

Race Results

Click on images to enlarge

Analysis of the Top Three and Other North Americans in the Top 30

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A 4.2 magnitude earthquake struck near Great Falls on Thursday, briefly rattling residents and raising questions about why earthquakes occur in the region.

The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed that it registered as a 4.2 quake. The quake happened at 12:41 p.m., and was centered about 4.9 miles northeast of Great Falls at a depth of about 13.6 miles.

Brianna Juneau reports – watch the video here:

Geology professor talks about Montana earthquakes

According to geologists, while earthquakes of that size are uncommon in north-central Montana, the area is far from inactive.

“Although earthquakes of that magnitude are quite rare in the Great Falls area, it’s actually a pretty seismically active region in western Montana,” said Andrew Laskowski, an associate professor of structural geology at Montana State University.

Great Falls lies near the Intermountain Seismic Belt, a geologically active zone that stretches through the western United States. Laskowski said that within this belt, scientists record an average of eight to ten earthquakes every day, though most are too small to be felt.

What exactly causes earthquakes in Montana remains a topic of debate among geologists.

Some researchers believe seismic activity here may be influenced by tectonic plate interactions far to the west, near the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountain Range.

Others point to the distant effects of California’s San Andreas Fault, while another theory focuses on differences in the structure of the Earth’s continental crust.

“In the western U.S., and in particular, we see the seismicity really focused on the mountain fronts,” Laskowski said. “Basically, the east side of the Rocky Mountains. That’s where we see changes in things like how thick the continental crust is.”

Laskowski added that resistance deep below the Earth’s surface, possibly involving the mantle beneath the crust, could also contribute to earthquake activity along those mountain fronts.

Most earthquakes in Montana measure below a magnitude of 2.5 to 3, making them nearly imperceptible to people on the surface.

“We live in a very seismically active state, particularly in the west half of the state,” Laskowski said. “We have to be aware that there is always a risk of major earthquakes.”

Experts say earthquake risk generally increases farther west in Montana, especially near Yellowstone, one of the most seismically active regions in the country. While Thursday’s earthquake was noticeable, geologists emphasize that events of that magnitude are rare in the Great Falls area and may not occur again for several years.

EARTHQUAKES IN MONTANA

The Treasure State is in one of the most seismically active regions in the United States. The intermountain seismic belt, which runs through the western third of the state, is where most of the earthquake activity occurs in Montana. The vast majority of the many quakes across the region are very small, rarely felt by people, and cause no damage. There is a team of experts at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory who keep track of them all; click here to visit the website.

There is also an Earthquake Studies Office on the campus of Montana Tech in Butte. It operates the Montana Regional Seismic Network, a network of 42 permanent seismic stations located throughout western Montana. The website notes: “Although it has been over four decades since the last destructive earthquake in Montana, small earthquakes are common in the region, occurring at an average rate of 7-10 earthquakes per day.”

The website features several interactive maps, including one that shows the 2,395 earthquakes recorded in Montana during 2018 and additional earthquakes in the surrounding region. All but 23 of those quakes registered as less than 3.0, which demonstrates how small and imperceptible the vast majority are.

There have been some notable earthquakes in Montana’s history, including the 7.3 magnitude Hebgen Lake earthquake on August 17, 1959. The earthquake triggered more than 160 new geysers throughout Yellowstone National Park. There were also around 28 fatalities from a rockslide in Madison Canyon.

And on July 6, 2017, one of the strongest earthquakes to hit Montana in decades shook the community of Lincoln northwest of Helena. It was centered 5.5 miles southeast of Lincoln at a depth of about 2.6 miles. People reported feeling the 5.8 magnitude quake across Montana and the northwest, with some reports coming from as far away as Vancouver and Lethbridge, Canada. It caused some minor damage, but no serious injuries.

In January 2026, a 4.2 quake shook several miles northeast of Great Falls; no injuries and no serious damage were reported – click here for details.

The quake happened at 12:41 p.m., and was centered about 4.9 miles northeast of Great Falls at a depth of about 13.6 miles.

MTN News was interviewing Cascade County Sheriff Jesse Slaughter (for an unrelated story) when the earthquake hit – watch the video:

Residents react as earthquake shakes Great Falls

The plains of central and eastern Montana are much less prone to quakes, but there have been a handful of significant ones reported.

According to the USGS, a 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Montana on May 15th, 1909.

Several smaller quakes have been recorded in Roosevelt County, including an estimated 4.5 magnitude quake in the town of Froid that resulted in some damage to a grain bin back in 1943.

Although it has been some time since the state has seen a destructive earthquake, small quakes occur several times every day. Click here to learn more about earthquake preparedness.