From Winterleiten, AUT
(December 21, 2024) – There’s not much Evelin Lanthaler hasn’t done in her career. She entered the 2024/2025 season opener in Winterleiten on a 28 race World Cup win streak and had only been beaten once in the last 40 races.
The Italian once again found the top of the podium in Winterleiten, and added bonus “hardware” with a track record on top of it. Her first run of 1:00.13 was a track record and enough to open a .95 second lead over teammate Daniela Mittermair. Nadine Staffler was third, 1.3 off of Lanthaler’s pace.
In the second run Lanthaler admittedly took it easy and had only the sixth quickest run of the heat, but more than enough to win her 29th straight and 40th in 41 World Cup races.
“My goal was to start the new season well,” Lanthaler told the media after the race. “The first run was really strong, and in the second run, I played it a bit safer.”
Behind Lanthaler, teammates Mittermaier and Staffler finished second and third to complete the Italian sweep in Austria. Staffler had the quick run of the second heat on her way to bronze.
Tina Unterberger finished the race in fourth place, with Italy’s Tina Stuffer in fifth. Austria’s Riccarda Ruetz rounded out the top six.
The United States’ Katie Cookman put down a pair of strong runs on her way to a tenth place finish, with Canada’s Nadja Loder 15th.
Results:
| Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
| 1 | Evelin Lanthaler | ITA | 22 | 4.20 | 4.20 | 60.13 | 61.58 | 2:01.71 |
| 2 | Daniela Mittermair | ITA | 13 | 4.23 | 4.24 | 61.08 | 61.33 | 2:02.41 |
| 3 | Nadine Staffler | ITA | 17 | 4.17 | 4.19 | 61.43 | 61.10 | 2:02.53 |
| 4 | Tina Unterberger | AUT | 20 | 4.37 | 4.36 | 61.53 | 61.28 | 2:02.81 |
| 5 | Tina Stuffer | ITA | 14 | 4.35 | 4.44 | 61.45 | 61.42 | 2:02.87 |
| 6 | Riccarda Ruetz | AUT | 21 | 4.14 | 4.33 | 61.57 | 61.49 | 2:03.06 |
| 7 | Lisa Walch | GER | 19 | 4.36 | 4.34 | 62.04 | 62.28 | 2:04.32 |
| 8 | Naomi Thöni | AUT | 10 | 4.37 | 4.38 | 62.58 | 62.82 | 2:05.40 |
| 9 | Hannah Nagele | AUT | 14 | 4.73 | 4.30 | 62.85 | 63.20 | 2:06.05 |
| 10 | Katie Cookman | USA | 11 | 4.48 | 4.55 | 65.54 | 65.40 | 2:10.94 |
| 11 | Patricija Urbanc | CRO | 16 | 4.92 | 4.90 | 66.08 | 65.99 | 2:12.07 |
| 12 | Ruby Carla Holland-Moritz | GER | 1 | 4.49 | 4.64 | 65.60 | 67.28 | 2:12.88 |
| 13 | Magdalena Enig | GER | 4 | 4.81 | 4.94 | 69.13 | 69.50 | 2:18.69 |
| 14 | Maja Poda | POL | 7 | 4.31 | 4.36 | 70.40 | 71.65 | 2:22.05 |
| 15 | Nadja Maria Loder | CAN | 12 | 5.06 | 5.14 | 70.98 | 72.39 | 2:23.37 |
| 16 | Katerina Stehlikova | CZE | 2 | 4.67 | 4.61 | 73.06 | 73.58 | 2:26.64 |
| 17 | Lea Krissakova | SVK | 8 | 4.59 | 4.60 | 72.27 | 74.41 | 2:26.68 |
| 18 | Mihaela Ionela Boca | ROU | 6 | 4.68 | 4.68 | 82.27 | 79.47 | 2:41.74 |
| 19 | Alexandra Deac | ROU | 5 | 4.91 | 5.34 | 83.49 | 93.58 | 2:57.07 |
| 20 | Lotte Musler | ITA | 3 | 4.39 | 61.91 | |||
| 21 | Jenny Castiglioni | ITA | 18 | 4.16 | 62.23 | |||
| 22 | Carina Miller | AUT | 9 | 4.27 | 63.91 |