Sölden (Austria) (AFP) – Italy’s Federica Brignone won the World Cup opener at Soelden on Saturday as Mikaela Shiffrin flopped on her second run of the giant slalom. It was a 28th career win in the World Cup for 34-year-old Brignone, and her 13th in the giant slalom.
Shiffrin was fastest over the first descent which started at 3,040m altitude, but the American failed to attack the second run leaving Brignone to grab the first victory of the 2024-2025 season ahead of New Zealand’s Alice Robinson and Julia Scheib of Austria. The 29-year-old superstar was unfazed by her slump and said she would analyse “where I need to improve” before the next giant slalom at Killington in the United States.
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With festive weekend crowds in full voice at the Austrian resort, Shiffrin was the star attraction, and as winner of the first run came out of the starter’s gate last. But in stark contrast to the first run, she was tentative on the 49 turns on the hard snow and was only 27th fastest on the second run. “I got the timing wrong and I was fighting it,” she explained. “It’s hell when that happens, I was so slow. Sometimes it just works and on others it’s a lot of work for very little pay back. But I’ve done it before and I know I’ll do it again,” she said.
Shiffrin sat out the end of the 2023-2024 season after damaging ligaments in a crash in January on the Cortina d’Ampezzo downhill course. The day’s winner Brignone said she had spent five months away from the slopes but had focussed throughout the close season on maintaining fitness. “I couldn’t get the rhythm but then I visualised and I was in the here and now,” Brignone explained about her powerful finish. “When I realised that I was first I told myself that I hadn’t skied so badly. I was able to gain speed towards the finish and that’s what made the difference today,” said Brignone, who won here nine years ago.
Lara Gut-Behrami, last year’s overall World Cup champion, pulled out before the start saying she did not feel “ready” to ski.
© 2024 AFP
