Sara Hector - Back on the podium with new skis

Two indescribable days in Courchevel for Sara Hector. Following her second place in the Giant Slalom on Tuesday, she won the second Giant Slalom on Wednesday. It was the second World Cup victory for the Swedish athlete after her victory in Kühtai in 2014. Alexander Schmid celebrated a premiere in the second Giant Slalom in Alta Badia on Monday: The 27-year-old German athlete finished in third place on the Gran Risa run, racing to the podium in his speciality discipline for the first time. Alexis Pinturault bagged his first podium finish in the Slalom this season with second place in the Night Slalom in Madonna di Campiglio on Wednesday.

"Sara Hector's performance was simply awesome. She competed with new skis in the two races in Courchevel, having trained with them only two days before. She's moved up a class with the new skis. Confidence in the new equipment has given her a real boost," explained HEAD Racing Director Rainer Salzgeber. "Alexander Schmid's podium was also brilliant. Alta Badia is a difficult race where the course is not easy. On Monday, he delivered two perfect runs. He showed what he's capable of achieving. Alexis Pinturault came up with the right response following a difficult weekend in Alta Badia. He also competed with a new model of ski in Madonna. His schedule was tight because of the speed discipline events, but he still decided to use the new equipment right now. We had seven athletes in the final standings in the Slalom in Madonna. The HEAD team have never managed that before in the Slalom."

"I am so proud and so happy"

"It is an indescribable feeling, I can't believe it. I am so proud and so happy," says Sara Hector, thrilled with her second World Cup victory. "I fought well. It was difficult and I was so nervous all day. It really was all about focusing on the race. So many things can go wrong in skiing, it was so close and I wanted so much." The 29-year-old dialled in on the win with the fastest time on the first run and third-best time on the second run. For Sweden's women ski athletes it was the first World Cup victory in almost five years. Eighth place went to Ragnhild Mowinckel from Norway, twelfth place to Camille Rast from Switzerland.

Camille Rast in ninth place with bib number 45

On Tuesday, Sara Hector was in third place after the first run and finished second overall in the final standings with the fastest time on run two. Camille Rast's performance also stood out, having started 45th. She equalled her best Giant Slalom result from 2017 by finishing in ninth place and clocking the fourth-fastest time on the second run. Ragnhild Mowinckel finished in 13th place on Tuesday.

"I just wanted to have fun"

Alexander Schmid celebrated his first podium finish in the Giant Slalom in Alta Badia: "I have only ever had the starting position I had after the first run during the World Championships. There, I knew that I could take a big risk because it is only the medals that count. In the World Cup, it's a different story being in the top 3. I knew that the first two were pretty far in front. I just wanted to do my thing on the second round and have fun. I didn't have a particular goal in mind - I just wanted to play with the slope and enjoy the run. In the end, everything worked out and I'm mega happy." Justin Murisier from Switzerland was also pleased with another top result, having finished in sixth place. Giant Slalom World Champion Mathieu Faivre finished ninth.

Alexis Pinturault second - seven HEAD World Cup Rebels in the final standings

In the last race before Christmas - the Night Slalom in Madonna di Campiglio on Wednesday - Alexis Pinturault finished in second place, racing to the Slalom podium for the first time this season. The French athlete had been in fifth place after the first run. The HEAD Worldcup Rebels delivered an impressive team result. In addition to Alexis Pinturault, six more HEAD athletes made the final classification: Timon Haugan from Norway finished in fifth place, Yohei Koyama from Japan with bib number 54 finished eighth, Albert Popov from Bulgaria was eleventh, his compatriot Kamen Zlatkov with bib number 50 was 19th, Laurie Taylor from Great Britain with bib number 48 was 25^th, and Matej Vidovic from Croatia finished 26th.