As nothing is ordinary on the mountain of Killington, two skiers climbed on the highest step of the podium, Sunday. A rare fact. Anna Swenn Larsson and Wendy Holdener both clocked exactly 1:42.97. To make it even more special, this is their first ever slalom victory.
Thus ended the most anticipated weekend of the year for North American ski enthusiasts. The temperature was a little less clement than the day before for the giant slalom, but the warmth of the crowd was as usual enough to make the day pleasant.
All hopes were high for the local favorite, Mikaela Shiffrin, former athlete of the Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont. She was looking for a third consecutive slalom title.
However, Killington’s mountain was untamed and Shiffrin’s performance fell short in the second run.
Everyone was taken by surprise when Wendy Holdener’s time shot to green as she arrived at the bottom of the track, but three zeros followed one another on the board, meaning a time identical to leader Anna Sween Larsson’s.
Hands on her head, poles in the air, the Swiss couldn’t believe it. ” I gave everything. It was a relief to see that I was first. We can savor and share our victory,” said Holdener.
On the leader’s chair, the Swede kept her mouth open for long seconds. Seconds of amazement. “I’m so happy,” said Swenn Larsson after the race. It’s a lot of emotion. It’s a dream,” she said, unable to finish her sentence, carried away by emotion.
Swenn Larsson had however done enough to occupy the throne alone. Even if she had almost tripped in the first part of the course during the second run, she had recovered well, to her great astonishment. She was stunned at the bottom of the track seeing her time. The 31-year-old veteran went through the full gamut of emotions in such a short time.
Her heart rate must not have slowed when, convinced that Holdener had dislodged her thanks to an impeccable race in all respects, she began to pick up her equipment to leave the podium.
When Mikaela Shiffrin closed the competition with a good run for fifth place, Holdener and Swenn Larsson couldn’t stand still. As if they had difficulty believing it. As if it were impossible. As if they were living the same dream.
Create the unexpected
From the start of the second round, Franziska Gritsch came out of nowhere. Wearing bib 32, no one would have bet on such a performance on his part. Not even his own family. Last qualified, she spun at full speed on the track still spared. She crossed the finish line in 50.17 seconds. She is the only one to have skied under the 51 second mark in the second run.
Sitting on the leader’s chair, the 25-year-old Austrian saw 20 skiers pass before being dislodged.
Already, it was possible to sense that something special was afoot.
Katharina Liensberger fell, Lena Duerr missed a gate, Michelle Gisin lost her balance, Ana Bucik was flat. Petra Vhlova never found her rhythm. All those who could prevent Shiffrin from enjoying a sixth victory at Kilington had suffered the wrath of the mountain. As if she had acted in favor of her favorite.
However, Shiffrin fell short. She was unable to generate as much speed as in the first moto and seemed too shy to carve the corners as only she can.
Deja vu for Laurence St-Germain
In front of family and friends and with a good bib, Laurence St-Germain hoped to continue the momentum started on the last day of competition at Levi.
However, it had a similar outcome to its first performance in Finland. Halfway through, she missed a stake and her time was inevitably affected. It was due to a slight imbalance caused by a very quick start that St-Germain lost control of his spatulas for a fraction of a second. She was unable to qualify for the final round.
His compatriot Ali Nullmeyer for his part responded very well, once again. At 24, the Ontarian has established herself as the best skier in the country since last season thanks to a progression that allows us to be optimistic for the future. Since the beginning of the season, she has always ranked among the top 20.
Amelia Smart also did well with a 16e square.