Shiffrin edges out Gut-Behrami in Semmering GS for career win 79

SEMMERING,AUSTRIA. Mikaela Shiffrin. Photo: GEPA pictures

SEMMERING, Austria – You can’t fight the weather and warm snow is the enemy of fair course conditions. However, it is hard to upset the best. Mikaela Shiffrin has solved the Semmering GS puzzle two days in a row. Shiffrin has battled the world’s finest GS skiers four times this season. For the second consecutive time, she has come out on top. 

Mikaela Shiffrin won a gripping duel with Swiss skier Lara Gut-Behrami in a women’s World Cup giant slalom Wednesday to earn her second win in two days, and career victory No. 79.

Shiffrin trailed leader Gut-Behrami by 0.22 seconds after the opening leg but the pair swapped places after a thrilling final run in which both made mistakes, with the American racer ultimately beating her rival by 0.10.

The second run was very bumpy and dark. However, regardless of the day’s difficulties, like she had done 78 times before, she faced the challenge and ended the day victorious. 

“It was hard, it was so dark, some really big bumps, I tried to push,” Shiffrin said.

Again today, Semmering provided a storybook finish. First, Federica Brignone crossed with a 0.35 seconds advantage. Then the GS season leader Marta Bassino gave up some of her first run time advantage but not all of it. Shiffrin then fought to the bottom of the course to the finish 0.47 seconds faster than Bassino. Now, all eyes went to the top, where the only racer remaining was Lara Gut-Behrami. Gut-Behrami gave up her time advantage over Shiffrin immediately but then pulled back time at the bottom, but just not enough. Shiffrin ended the day only 0.10 seconds faster than her rival. 

Marta Bassino, who leads the GS standings, was 0.47 behind in third, followed by Italian teammate Federica Brignone in fourth.

All victories are impressive, but for the second time this season, Shiffrin has won two consecutive races at the same event. First, it was the two slalom races in Levi, and now back-to-back giant slaloms in Semmering. She shows a unique ability to believe in herself and beat seemingly impossible odds. 

Undoubtedly, Shiffrin is a determined superstar; however, she is competing with an excellent and extensive group of women. We may be witnessing the best giant slalom of her career. 

It was also a great day for North America. Canadian Valerie Grenier and USA’s Paula Moltzan finished in the top 10. Grenier used the fastest second run to move up seven spots from 12th to fifth. Moltzan used the second-fastest final run to move up 15 positions to ninth. It is Grenier’s fourth career top-10 giant slalom and Moltzan’s fifth. Moltzan has done it three times this season and twice in Semmmering.

“I was really bummed after the first run so I made a good plan to be full gas with nothing to lose,” said Moltzan on her great result. “We are coming into a busy period so I am excited to keep building into all of these races.”

Another great story emerging at the women’s World Cup is the 16-year-old Italian racing for Albania, Lara Colturi. She is a first-year FIS athlete who has scored World Cup points three times before the New Year. Colturi fought her way into the second run and then moved up ten positions to finish 20th. Today is the second time she has scored GS points adding to her Sestriere SL score. 

Analysis of the top three, Grenier, Moltzan, and Colturi, and final results of the Dec. 28th Semmering GS

Final results December 28th Semmering GS

The Associated Press contributed to this report.