Time-wise, a medal was within reach for Sara Hector ahead of the second run in the World Championship downhill in Austrian Saalbach.
In reality, the Swede felt she was never really close.
A podium spot was within reach with just a few fewer mistakes. I was stiff. I couldn't get the skis to work. It's disappointing, says the 32-year-old to Viaplay.
"Required an enormous amount"
I'm disappointed with my run today. I didn't get it, but that's life sometimes. To be in the top fight, it would have required an enormous amount more, she continues.
Hector took Olympic gold in giant slalom in Beijing 2022, but the following year in the World Championship, it was only a 13th place in Méribel in her signature event.
In Saalbach, she finished sixth – a whole 2.88 seconds behind the dominant winner Federica Brignone, Italy.
I've never been better than sixth at the World Championship in giant slalom. There have been a lot of trolls in the World Championship for me, and I think that somewhere, that can settle in a bit (in the head), says Hector, who was fifth after the first run.
In the end, she was 26 hundredths of a second from American Paula Moltzan on the bronze spot. Alice Robinson, New Zealand, took silver and was nine tenths behind Brignone.
Slalom on Saturday
Hector and teammates Kristoffer Jakobsen, Estelle Alphand, and Fabian Ax Swartz started the World Championship with a bronze in the team event in parallel giant slalom.
Now, only Saturday's slalom remains for Sara Hector.
It's about not getting down. It's what you want on a day like this, but it doesn't help to dig a hole and just get stuck there, she says to Viaplay.
Estelle Alphand finished in 20th place, Lisa Nyberg became 29th, and Hanna Aronsson Elfman finished in 30th place.
Corrected: In an earlier version, Alice Robinson was given the wrong nationality.
