The Italian, vice-world champion of the giant in Courchevel in February, achieved the best time on Saturday in the first round of the World Cup giant in Sölden (Austria), which marks the first race of the winter.
Starting with bib 6, she beat the Swede Sara Hector (2nd by 50 hundredths of a second) and the Slovak Petra Vlhova (3rd, 63/100). American star Mikaela Shiffrin, five-time winner of the big globe and victorious in Sölden in 2021 (the women's race had been canceled in 2022), finished the first round in fifth place, 75 hundredths behind Brignone.
The only Frenchwoman entered, Clara Direz initially finished in 31st place (first non-qualified) but finally obtained her ticket for the second round after the disqualification of the Norwegian Ragnhild Mowinckel. The second round is scheduled for 1 p.m. local time (11:00 GMT).