Shiffrin takes commanding giant slalom win in Semmering

By Published On: December 27th, 2016Comments Off on Shiffrin takes commanding giant slalom win in Semmering

Swirling winds and flat light couldn’t put a damper on American Mikaela Shiffrin as she took a convincing win in the rescheduled Courchevel giant slalom in Semmering, Austria, on Tuesday. Shiffrin’s victory, her first in World Cup giant slalom since tying for the win in Soelden in 2014, came in a two-run time of 2:01.81 seconds, a comfortable 0.78 seconds ahead of Frenchwoman Tessa Worley in second and 1.09 seconds clear of Italy’s Manuela Moelgg in third.

Although skies were mostly clear to start the day, a slope largely in the shadows combined with inconsistent winds provided an interesting challenge for the 70 women who took on the first run. Shiffrin made the icy conditions look easy en route to setting the pace after run one with Moelgg and Worley not far behind. It was tight racing across the board as only 2.03 seconds separated the top-30 competitors after run one.

Austrian star Anna Veith also made her much anticipated return to World Cup action after sitting out the entirety of last season and the first part of this season while she recovered from a torn ACL. Unfortunately for Veith, her skiing was not good enough to qualify for a second run with how close times were.

Weather began to move in as run two got underway, making flat light and light snowfall the name of the game. Several racers managed to take advantage of early start positions and make impressive jumps in the standings, including Switzerland’s Lara Gut, who leapt from 17th place after run one to ultimately end up just off of the podium in fourth.

Worley charged from seventh place to the runner-up spot and Moelgg hung on to her impressive first run performance to finish third when all was said and done. Shiffrin really managed to open things up in the second run, especially with how tight racing had been up until the 21-year-old took to the course. Matching the surging Worley turn-for-turn, Shiffrin held on to virtually all of her first run advantage and crossed the line for only her second career World Cup GS victory.

Shiffrin admitted she has struggled as of late in GS, letting the win slip through her fingers in Sestriere and just not having the same confidence level that she enjoys in her slalom skiing. Tuesday’s result is a step in the right direction, but according to Shiffrin, there is still work to be done.

“It’s been tough in GS for me,” Shiffrin said. “Today, I felt really good just going for it. I wasn’t trying to ski perfect. I was just trying to ski fast. It felt really nice, and I believed in myself for the first time in a GS race and that was very emotional. To win is amazing, but I don’t expect to win every GS now, I’m just trying to go with this feeling.”

Although Worley felt like her first run performance kept her from yet another GS win this season, she was content to walk away with a podium and build on her lead in the discipline standings.

“It was a tough race,” Worley said. “Icy, bumpy, everything I like. Mikaela did a great two runs. I did a bad top section on the first, so I’m really happy with second place and with my second run attacking from top to bottom.”

It was Moelgg’s first podium appearance since 2011 in Zagreb, Croatia. The 33-year-old Italian spent her Christmas holiday training with Shiffrin and has a lot of fight left in her as she looks to the remainder of the season.

“I’ve had a lot of time to come back, but I am here,” she said. “I am not the youngest, but not a bad one.”

Simmering was not as kind to the other two American Starters as Megan McJames did not qualify for run two and Resi Stiegler did not finish her first run.

In addition, Swedish athlete Marie Pietilae-Holmner, who was within striking distance of the podium after first run, took a tumble near the bottom of the second run. While she was able to walk out of the finish on her own, she has been taken to a hospital in Austria for evaluation of her right knee.

The women continue racing in Semmering with a second giant slalom on Wednesday followed by a slalom on Thursday.

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Top 10

  1. Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) – Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
  2. Tessa Worley (FRA) – Rossignol/Rossignol/Look
  3. Manuela Moelgg (ITA) – Dynastar/Lange/Look
  4. Lara Gut (SUI) – Head/Head/Head
  5. Marta Bassino (ITA) – Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
  6. Ana Drev (SLO) – Voelkl/Fischer/Marker
  7. Viktoria Rebensburg (GER) – Stoeckli/Lange/Marker
  8. Petra Vlhova (SVK) – Rossignol/Rossignol/Look
  9. Raghnild Mowinkel (NOR) – Head/Head/Head
  10. Nina Loeseth (NOR) – Rossignol/Lange/Look

Official Results

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time Diff. FIS Points
 1  15  6535237 SHIFFRIN Mikaela 1995 USA  59.91  1:01.90  2:01.81  0.00
 2  6  196928 WORLEY Tessa 1989 FRA  1:00.71  1:01.88  2:02.59  +0.78  6.28
 3  13  296259 MOELGG Manuela 1983 ITA  1:00.18  1:02.72  2:02.90  +1.09  8.77
 4  5  516138 GUT Lara 1991 SUI  1:01.27  1:01.78  2:03.05  +1.24  9.98
 5  12  299276 BASSINO Marta 1996 ITA  1:00.40  1:02.97  2:03.37  +1.56  12.55
 6  2  565268 DREV Ana 1985 SLO  1:00.87  1:02.54  2:03.41  +1.60  12.87
 7  1  205218 REBENSBURG Viktoria 1989 GER  1:01.60  1:01.82  2:03.42  +1.61  12.95
 8  28  705423 VLHOVA Petra 1995 SVK  1:01.36  1:02.10  2:03.46  +1.65  13.27
 9  26  425929 MOWINCKEL Ragnhild 1992 NOR  1:01.10  1:02.39  2:03.49  +1.68  13.52
 10  3  425771 LOESETH Nina 1989 NOR  1:01.20  1:02.32  2:03.52  +1.71  13.76
 11  24  197319 BAUD MUGNIER Adeline 1992 FRA  1:00.96  1:02.60  2:03.56  +1.75  14.08
 12  4  355050 WEIRATHER Tina 1989 LIE  1:01.94  1:01.68  2:03.62  +1.81  14.56
 13  20  196725 BARIOZ Taina 1988 FRA  1:00.70  1:02.94  2:03.64  +1.83  14.72
 14  21  105269 GAGNON Marie-Michele 1989 CAN  1:01.91  1:01.75  2:03.66  +1.85  14.88
 15  19  56217 BRUNNER Stephanie 1994 AUT  1:01.03  1:02.68  2:03.71  +1.90  15.29
 16  36  56174 HAASER Ricarda 1993 AUT  1:01.22  1:02.57  2:03.79  +1.98  15.93
 17  10  55759 KIRCHGASSER Michaela 1985 AUT  1:01.01  1:02.84  2:03.85  +2.04  16.41
 18  25  516268 WILD Simone 1993 SUI  1:01.34  1:02.59  2:03.93  +2.12  17.06
 19  23  297702 MARSAGLIA Francesca 1990 ITA  1:01.79  1:02.27  2:04.06  +2.25  18.10
 20  18  505886 KLING Kajsa 1988 SWE  1:01.29  1:02.78  2:04.07  +2.26  18.18
 21  27  297910 CURTONI Elena 1991 ITA  1:01.27  1:02.84  2:04.11  +2.30  18.50
 22  30  197124 FRASSE SOMBET Coralie 1991 FRA  1:01.36  1:02.80  2:04.16  +2.35  18.91
 23  17  516280 HOLDENER Wendy 1993 SUI  1:01.20  1:02.99  2:04.19  +2.38  19.15
 24  53  197616 ALPHAND Estelle 1995 FRA  1:01.66  1:02.58  2:04.24  +2.43  19.55
 25  9  505679 HANSDOTTER Frida 1985 SWE  1:01.16  1:03.45  2:04.61  +2.80  22.53
 26  31  565360 STUHEC Ilka 1990 SLO  1:01.49  1:03.14  2:04.63  +2.82  22.69
 27  38  565373 ROBNIK Tina 1991 SLO  1:01.66  1:03.40  2:05.06  +3.25  26.15
Did not start 1st run
 70  35089 SIMARI BIRKNER Macarena 1984 ARG
 67  35079 SIMARI BIRKNER Maria Belen 1982 ARG
 65  35156 BANCORA Salome 1993 ARG
Did not qualify for 2nd run
 68  665009 SHKANOVA Maria 1989 BLR
 66  385096 POPOVIC Leona 1997 CRO
 64  355061 HILZINGER Jessica 1997 GER
 63  435334 GASIENICA-DANIEL Maryna 1994 POL
 62  516284 GISIN Michelle 1993 SUI
 61  56367 GALLHUBER Katharina 1997 AUT
 60  425981 SKJOELD Maren 1993 NOR
 59  516344 KOPP Rahel 1994 SUI
 58  485926 KRYUKOVA Kristina 1997 RUS
 57  516562 RAST Camille 1999 SUI
 56  506146 SWENN-LARSSON Anna 1991 SWE
 55  56199 KAPPAURER Elisabeth 1994 AUT
 54  197651 DIREZ Clara 1995 FRA
 52  405138 JELINKOVA Adriana 1995 NED
 51  56032 SCHILD Bernadette 1990 AUT
 50  307255 ISHIKAWA Haruna 1994 JPN
 49  516407 KASPER Vanessa 1996 SUI
 48  56333 MAIR Chiara 1996 AUT
 46  155728 DUBOVSKA Martina 1992 CZE
 45  56241 SCHNEEBERGER Rosina 1994 AUT
 44  206355 DUERR Lena 1991 GER
 43  516528 MEILLARD Melanie 1998 SUI
 42  299624 PIROVANO Laura 1997 ITA
 40  426187 LYSDAHL Kristin 1996 NOR
 39  307493 ANDO Asa 1996 JPN
 37  225525 TILLEY Alexandra 1993 GBR
 34  565331 LAVTAR Katarina 1988 SLO
 33  538284 MCJAMES Megan 1987 USA
 32  306249 HASEGAWA Emi 1986 JPN
 14  55947 VEITH Anna 1989 AUT
Did not finish 2nd run
 29  56315 TRUPPE Katharina 1996 AUT
 22  296509 CURTONI Irene 1985 ITA
 8  505760 PIETILAE-HOLMNER Maria 1986 SWE
Did not finish 1st run
 69  506341 WIKSTROEM Emelie 1992 SWE
 47  197215 MASSIOS Marie 1992 FRA
 41  107613 GRENIER Valerie 1996 CAN
 35  537772 STIEGLER Resi 1985 USA
 16  296729 FANCHINI Nadia 1986 ITA
 11  298323 GOGGIA Sofia 1992 ITA
 7  297601 BRIGNONE Federica 1990 ITA

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About the Author: Sean Higgins

A Lake Tahoe native and University of Vermont graduate, Higgins was a member of the Catamounts' 2012 NCAA title winning squad and earned first team All-American honors in 2013. Prior to coming to Ski Racing Media, he coached U14s for the Squaw Valley Ski Team.