Legendary Shiffrin: victory n. 86, equaling Stenmark’s record. Brignone second

After 34 years Ingemar Stenmark’s record is equaled: Mikaela Shiffrin triumphs in the giant Are (Sweden), it’s success number 86 in the World Cup. Just like the ones from the Swedish legend. He collected them in slalom (46) and giant (40), she divides them between slalom (52), giant (20), super-G (5), downhill (3), combined (1) and parallel (5). And on the track where on 20 December 2012 she collected her first victory (in slalom) she crowned the pursuit, ready to overtake as early as tomorrow in the slalom which closes the last Cup weekend before the finals in Soldeu (Andorra). “What a spectacular day – commented Shiffrin -. Even before setting off in the second heat I knew I had already won the giant cup, I was also lucky with the weather and the visibility in the first. It’s incredible”.

Brignone second

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But next to Shiffrin’s star Federica Brignone shines, the only one to risk the first place of the American with a second heat attack, tarnished by an error in the last gates that slowed her down and which perhaps cost her success . In the end, Faith was 64 hundredths behind, and she managed to recover 4 tenths. For Brignone, who was looking for the first seasonal success in giant slalom, it is the sixth podium of 22/23, the 55th of her career. “I attacked a lot, I risked a lot, I didn’t ski very well in all sectors, I lost a bit in the final but I wanted to catch Mikaela – commented Federica – . I did my best, I’m always there, still on the podium, I’m skiing well. I know that I can also ski well in the finals and super-G, I can’t wait to go to Soldeu”.

For Shiffrin this success also applies to the specialty cup: the tenth in his career, the second in giant. And her season is increasingly incredible: she has already won 12 races (6 giants, 5 slaloms and a super-G), conquered the general world cup as well as slalom and giant slalom.

The race

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It was a second heat full of surprises. In the final the Austrian Gritsch came out, who was third after the first heat. The Canadian Grenier, who was second, made a serious mistake immediately after the start and ended up behind her (at 1″80). The Swedish Hector closes in third place, at 92/100, then Vlhova (at 1”42) and Worley (1”78). Marta Bassino is eleventh in the end (at 2″20), while the other two Italians qualified for the second heat improve: Elisa Platino climbs from 25th to 19th place (at 3″10), Roberta Melesi is twentieth at 3″ 28.