Ljutić finishes 17th in Olympic giant slalom after strong second run

Croatian skier Zrinka Ljutić finished 17th in the Olympic giant slalom on Sunday in Cortina, rebounding from a cautious first run with one of the fastest times in the second.

Ljutić trailed by more than two seconds after the opening run, where small mistakes left her well behind Italy’s Federica Brignone, the leader. She responded with the third-fastest time in the second run but was too far back to contend for a medal.

“The second run was much better than the first and I’m really happy with it,” Ljutić said. “I made a mistake near the end, took too direct a line and lost momentum. That cost me a few tenths, but it didn’t matter since I was already out of medal contention. Still, I’m glad I skied better.”

She said the second course setup suited her more.

“It was set more like a true giant slalom, with more turns. This slope is very particular and it’s difficult to set a different course in the lower section, but the second run fit me better.”

Brignone added another Olympic gold to her résumé after also winning the super-G. Sweden’s Sara Hector and Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund shared silver after posting identical combined times.

Ljutić praised Brignone’s return from a serious injury sustained at the 2025 Italian Championships last April, where the Italian suffered multiple leg fractures and a torn ACL. Brignone returned to competition less than four weeks before the Olympics.

“She skis incredibly — fast, brave and experienced. When you put all that together, it’s just incredible,” Ljutić said.

Sixteen-year-old Pia Vučinić, competing in her first Olympics, crashed in the opening run.

“The course was good and I felt solid, but I fell near the end and couldn’t recover,” Vučinić said. “Maybe I was a little cautious after a fall two weeks ago. Still, I’m glad I had the chance to race.”

Vučinić competed in her first senior FIS race just three months ago.

Ljutić, Vučinić and teammate Leona Popović will return to action in Wednesday’s slalom.