Montana

Blanc Wins Crans-Montana Super-G, Johnson Breaks Through

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4 weeks ago

January 31, 2026

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Blanc Wins Crans-Montana Super-G, Johnson Breaks Through

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

CRANS MONTANA, SWITZERLAND, 31.JAN.26 – Sofia Goggia (ITA), Malorie Blanc (SUI) and Breezy Johnson (USA). Photo: GEPA pictures/ Avni Retkoceri

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

CRANS MONTANA, SWITZERLAND, 31.JAN.26 – Breezy Johnson (USA). Photo: GEPA pictures/ Avni Retkoceri

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

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

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Montana

Evacuation orders issued as 5,000-acre wildfire burns near Roundup, Montana

Published

5 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Evacuation orders issued as 5,000-acre wildfire burns near Roundup, Montana

ROUNDUP, Mont. —
The Rehder Creek Fire is burning 16 miles southeast of Roundup has grown to about 5,000 acres, prompting evacuation orders for residents in the Bruner Mountain Area/Subdivision.

The fire started Feb. 26, the cause is unknown and containment was at 0%.

Evacuation orders are in effect for all residents in the Bruner Mountain Area/Subdivision. The Musselshell County Sheriff’s Office is coordinating the evacuation orders, and 911 reverse calls have been sent out to advise people in the area.

A shelter is opening at the Roundup Community Center. Residents were told to contact Musselshell County DES for further information.

Firefighter and public safety remain the top priority. The public is asked to avoid the Fattig Creek and Rehder Road area so emergency personnel can safely and effectively perform their work.

Fire resources assigned to the incident include 40 total personnel, 11 engines, one Type 2 helicopter, three tenders and two dozers.

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Montana

February 26 recap: Missoula and Western Montana news you may have missed today

Published

17 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

February 26 recap: Missoula and Western Montana news you may have missed today

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Montana

Escobar, Jayapal, Members of Congress Call on Camp East Montana to be Shut Down – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Escobar, Jayapal, Members of Congress Call on Camp East Montana to be Shut Down – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) – joined by Representative Pramila Jayapal, the Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, and 22 other Members of Congress – sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons calling for the immediate closure of Camp East Montana in El Paso. They cite urgent humanitarian concerns following multiple deaths in custody, documented unsafe conditions, and serious deficiencies in medical care.

This marks the fourth letter Congresswoman Escobar has sent to DHS and ICE leadership. The previous three letters have gone unanswered.

The letter can be found in its entirety below and here.

“Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons:

We are urgently calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS or the Department) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to shut down Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas.

Camp East Montana has been operational for six months, and at least three people have died at the site since December 2025: Francisco Gaspar-Andres, Geraldo Lunas Campos, and Victor Manuel Diaz. The El Paso County Medical Examiner has officially ruled Lunas Campos’ death a homicide, citing “asphyxia due to neck and torso compression.”

Camp East Montana was constructed in a matter of weeks and opened before construction was complete and it does not have enough federal staff on-site to provide adequate oversight. Over the last several months, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, in whose district this facility is located, has sent multiple letters to DHS and ICE regarding concerns about the conditions at Camp East Montana, and has received no responses.

According to detainees, there have been constant and consistent problems at the facility since it opened, beginning with the facility’s poor construction and poor ambient temperature control. Upon opening, the drinking water at Camp East Montana tasted foul and made some detainees sick. Detainees continue to be served inadequate meals, including food that is rotten or frozen; last fall, the facility was also consistently failing to make dietary accommodations for detainees. Detainees have shared that they have sporadic access to outside spaces and recreational areas, and that their dormitory pods are cleaned only once every eight days, despite pods housing up to 72 people at a time. Laundry services are not consistent, and people are washing their clothes in the facility showers. Additionally, the facility experiences flooding and sewage backups when it rains, leading to stagnant water.

One of the biggest concerns with the Camp East Montana facility is the inadequate medical care being provided to detainees. Our offices have heard that only the most ill detainees are referred to the medical unit and that there are inconsistencies as to how soon after arriving detainees are able to undergo initial medical screenings. Detainees with chronic health issues who rely on regimented medications for their health have had difficulty accessing necessary medications, including blood pressure medication and insulin.

At least one of the deaths that occurred in ICE custody, the death of Francisco Gaspar-Andres, appears to partially be the result of poor medical care by staff at the facility. According to ICE’s own account, Gaspar-Andres sought medical attention from facility staff for increasingly serious symptoms, but was only transferred to an area hospital once his condition had severely deteriorated.

In addition to our concerns about poor medical care, we are also aware that detainees have experienced irregular access to their legal counsel, including instances of detainees having only two minutes allotted per phone call every 8 days, which is contrary to ICE’s Detention Standards on access to counsel, and that the belatedly created law library lacks adequate resources for the amount of people currently held at the facility. In January 2026, ICE announced the on-site death of Geraldo Lunas Campos “after experiencing medical distress.” ICE opened an investigation into the death, but did not provide a cause of death. However, The Washington Post later reported that another man detained at Camp East Montana had witnessed guards choking Lunas Campos when he refused to enter a segregated housing unit. Weeks later, the El Paso County Medical Examiner ruled that Lunas Campos had experienced “asphyxia due to neck and torso compression” and ruled his death a homicide.

Lunas Campos is the first detainee to die at Camp East Montana as a result of a use-of-force incident, but we are strongly concerned that he will not be the last if ICE is allowed to continue operating Camp East Montana.

ICE was given $45 billion in taxpayer dollars in the reconciliation bill, $1.2 billion of which were awarded to Acquisition Logistics, LLC, a company with no previous experience managing immigration detention facilities, to build and oversee Camp East Montana. However, in the wake of three deaths in custody so far, continued concerns about conditions at the facility, and ICE’s apparent disinterest in responding to oversight letters from Congress, we do not believe Camp East Montana is being run professionally or responsibly.

Camp East Montana must be shut down. For the safety of everyone at the facility, for an end to abuses to detainees, and for fiscal responsibility to the American people, the site cannot continue to operate. We are calling on DHS and ICE to move to immediately close operations at Camp East Montana.

We look forward to hearing from the Department promptly on this matter.

The other co-signers include Representatives Yassamin Ansari, Nanette Barragán, Yvette Clarke, Lloyd Doggett, Maxwell Frost, Jesús “Chuy” García, Sylvia Garcia, Daniel Goldman, Jimmy Gomez, Henry Johnson, Stephen Lynch, Seth Moulton, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Delia Ramirez, Andrea Salinas, Janice Schakowsky, Darren Soto, Rashida Tlaib, Paul Tonko, Lauren Underwood, Gabe Vasquez, and Nydia Velázquez.

Issues: Immigration

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