Spotlight on: Lara Gut

In case you haven't noticed, Lara Gut is something of a phenom.
The 17-year-old Swiss racer has raced in eight World Cups and in three of them, she's been in the top five. She was third in the downhill at St. Mortitz last year - her first World Cup DH start ever - and she came in third despite crashing through the finish line.
To start the season this year, she came in fifth in Soelden, which was her third World Cup giant slalom and the first in which she qualified for a second run.
Most of her success comes in the speed events. In January of last year she won four Europa Cups in a row at Caspoggio, Italy.
After Soelden though, who knows what she's capable of. Skiing like that could make her an overall contender.
To put her age in perspective, last year she was a second year J2. This year, she's a J1.

Here's the link to Gut's debut downhill where she crashes and still gets third.

Also, check out her journal (if you read German) on her Web site here.