Shiffrin misses record tie win but wins fifth overall World Cup title | Mikaela Shiffrin
American ski star Mikaela Shiffrin With seven races remaining in the season, a fifth overall World Cup title was guaranteed on Saturday.
The 27-year-old finished ahead of her only rival, Swiss racer Lara Gut Behrami, in the women’s downhill at Kvitfjell.
Shiffrin dominates the season with 14 podiums, including 11 wins in 25 races.
“It’s pretty wild, actually. It’s always weird to describe how you feel the day you win a race when you don’t win the title overall, or any season,” Shiffrin said.
“The work over the entire season has been amazing and to make sure of that before the final race is very special.”
Her five overall title tally rivals Luxembourg’s Marc Girardelli. She is ahead of her two Austrians, Annemarie Moeser-Proll, who has won six overall titles, and Marcel Hirscher, who has won eight times.
Shiffrin was able to close out the weekend by matching Swedish ski icon Ingemar Stenmark’s World Cup record of 86 wins. to his hometown in Aare next weekend to compete in giant slalom and slalom.
On Saturday, the American finished tied for fifth in her latest crack in a record-tying victory, extending her chase by at least one more day.
The race was won by home favourite, Kaisa Vikko Free. She became the first Norwegian woman to win the Downhill World Cup in her 56-year history of skiing.
Sofia Goggia finished 0.29 seconds behind in second place, giving the Italian another downhill season title.
“I feel great, so it’s my fourth downhill glove, my third in a row, and I’m really happy,” said Goggia. “But I’m not happy with today’s performance. I didn’t ski well and didn’t ski like I did in training.”
Olympic champion Corinne Souter and two-time former world champion Ilka Stuhek finished third and fourth respectively.
Shiffrin broke a tie with former American teammate Lindsey Vonn on the all-time women’s list in January.
Shiffrin won the overall title three years in a row from 2017-2019 and won it again last year.
Vie calls her victory: It’s the best feeling ever,” he added, adding, “I just want to enjoy skiing. Of course, nothing feels better than when you’re winning a race. Oh yeah, I’m very happy.”
The race at the Olympiabacken Course, a regular course for the men’s circuit but the first women’s race in 20 years, was held in sunny conditions, but strong winds affected the race.
The organizers decided to adjust the course and avoid the Russi jump, which they decided might be too dangerous after the skiers jumped as much as 50 meters (yards) in training.
Friday’s Super-G winner Cornelia Hütter lost her balance and went off the track mid-run, but escaped injury.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/mar/04/mikaela-shiffrin-overall-world-cup-title-crystal-globe Shiffrin misses record tie win but wins fifth overall World Cup title | Mikaela Shiffrin