St-Isidore’s Valérie Grenier posted a career-best finish in the women’s World Cup giant slalom race in Slovenia on January 8, finishing in fourth place and narrowly missing the podium.
In a race that was moved from Maribor to the steeper, icier slopes of Kranjska Gora, Grenier proved once again that she is a force to be reckoned with in World Cup giant slalom, finishing just off the podium on the challenging track, which boasts a steep, icy pitch to the finish and a lot of terrain.
“Really good day,” said Grenier after the race. “I’m really happy with my skiing considering everything.”
“Conditions are really tough and it’s a long hill so it’s not easy. I fought through to the end and I’m happy with the results.”
The St-Isidore native kicked out in the first World Cup giant slalom of the season in October in Sölden, finishing seventh in that race for her then-best career result in the discipline. After Killington’s giant slalom was cancelled, Grenier and suffered an injury in mid-December. The fourth place finish in Slovenia on January 8 was her first since the season opener and her new career best.
Grenier burst onto the international ski racing scene when she captured a bronze medal at the 2015 World Junior Championships. A few years later, at 21, she competed in her first Olympic Games at PyeongChang in 2018, starting in the giant slalom, super-G, downhill, and alpine combined. Grenier embraced the full World Cup circuit, racing in both tech and speed disciplines, capturing three top-30 results in the 2017/18 season, including a 15th place in the Alpine Combined in Lenzerheide (SUI), and has gone on to have multiple top 10 finishes since.
After injuries kept her out of the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons, Grenier returned to snow with a vengeance in 2020/21, skiing to four top-30 finishes, highlighted by a sixth-place giant slalom finish in Soelden (AUT).
-Press Release, Alpine Canada
