Shiffrin. Semmering. Photo: GEPA pictures.

THIS IS A FIRST RUN STORY, CLICK HERE FOR FULL REPORT.

SEMMERING, Austria – The December 27th Semmering race started under mostly sunny skies and warm temperatures. Fortunately, however, the race slope doesn’t get much direct sun. The World Cup also began with the overall world’s number one starting first. 

Mikaela Shiffrin took full advantage of her start position to attack the course. Skiing with the confidence she gained from a good training block, Shiffrin crossed and waited to see what the clock had to say about her effort. Skiing well is a skill; drawing bib one on a day like today is the luck you have earned. Taking advantage of both is being a champion. 

The best American settled directly into the Audi leader’s chair. Fortunately for her, she never left her viewing perch. Soon it became clear she had done all she could to set herself up for her first GS podium of the season. Perhaps the first GS victory.

Chasing career win No. 78, Shiffrin had a blistering start at Semmering and gained considerable time on her rivals in the first 15 seconds of the run. The American posted the fastest split times in all but the last section and finished 0.72 seconds ahead of Petra Vlhová of Slovakia.

“From the first turn I felt very good, I was very strong and dynamic, so I am super happy with my skiing,” said Shiffrin, who has won two slaloms and a super-G this season.

Vlhova is followed by the reigning 2021-22 GS World Cup champion Tessa Worley just 0.01 seconds behind Vlhova.

The other North American to qualify for the final run was USA’s Paula Moltzan. Moltzan, skiing with bib 18, she was able to cross in 11th. However, two women with higher start numbers could ski faster, and Moltzan finished the run 13th, 1.46 seconds behind the leading Shiffrin. 

U.S. ski team coach Magnus Andersson will set the gates for the second run on the Panorama course, which was in solid but far from perfect condition due to days of mild weather in eastern Austria.

“For me, it’s much better than I expected for the warm temperatures. The surface is very solid, it’s just some spots that will be breaking a bit,” Shiffrin said. “For the second run, there is going to be some tracks. I just have to be very tough and very aggressive.”

Even World Cup athletes struggle in variable conditions

As predicted, the warm snow played its role in the morning run. With the challenge of the changing surface, the time spread when the first 30 had completed the run was 3.38 seconds. The watered and salted snow allowed for a safe race, but the track was progressively getting slower. It soon became a fight for the best women in the world to get to the finish. Rough, bumpy, and unpredictable describes the surface for the last numbers. 

The Austrian holiday crowd enjoyed the beautiful weather and cheered loudly for the athletes but especially hard for those wearing the home uniform. They watched as competitor after competitor fought their way to the finish in hopes of qualifying. Two with bibs inside the 30 did not finish and one was disqualified, but in the end, only three from outside the first 30 could qualify.

Clara Direz of France, bib 41, skied with great determination to be the last of the three who did. The race resembled a fight more than a ski race for the last numbers. Although the snow was not perfect for Shiffrin, it was a different world from the surface the later women had to ski. The top 30 are separated by 3.22 seconds. Additionally, the home country fans will have eight Austrian athletes to support in the second run.

Ultimately, we have a race, and the best will face the challenges of skiing last in the final run.

Analysis of the top three from the first run and other North Americans qualified for the second run

Top 30 first run results Semmering GS December 27th