Joan Verdú rallies from 26th to 16th at Copper Mountain giant slalom

Joan Verdú climbed ten places to finish 16th in the World Cup giant slalom at Copper Mountain, posting a combined time of 2:32.99. After a troubled first run that left him 26th in 1:15.65 — +2.38 behind first-run leader Stefan Brennsteiner (1:13.27) — Verdú produced a stronger second descent, stopping the clock at 1:17.34 for the sixth-fastest second-run time and briefly holding the provisional lead. Starting fourth in the reversed top‑30 order, his recovery moved him into the points and earned 15 World Cup points.

The race, held on a course making its World Cup debut at Copper Mountain in Summit County, Colorado, was contested on aggressive, icy snow that provoked several high-profile errors and eliminations. Swiss favourite Marco Odermatt crashed when his outer ski slipped; Norway’s Haugan recorded a DNF; and competitors including Ryan McGrath and Italy’s Davide De Aliprandini suffered incidents that cost them time.

Verdú said he “did not adapt at all” to the piste in the first run but that he “changed a couple of things that worked much better” for the second. He acknowledged a significant mistake in the finish area of the second run but added that, without it, “it’s quite likely I would have won the run.” The result followed his 12th place at Sölden and brings his giant slalom season total to 37 points, leaving him 13th in the discipline standings.

Austrian Stefan Brennsteiner won the event with a combined time of 2:30.98 for his second World Cup victory this season. Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen was second (+0.95) and Croatia’s Filip Zubčić third (+1.00). Verdú finished 2.01 seconds behind the winner.

Team coach Juan Lago highlighted the positive aspects of the performance and the ongoing adaptation to new equipment after more than a decade with the same brand, saying Verdú “is working very well and skiing very well” and that the team is approaching the “optimal level” they seek. Verdú said the finish boosts his confidence: “If our worst day gives us sixteenth in the World Cup, we know we have a lot of room to improve.”

The World Cup trip in the United States continues with the Beaver Creek giant slalom on Sunday, 7 December.