(Killington) Was Mikaela Shiffrin slowed down by a gale or just lost a lot in the giant slalom?
The American superstar herself seemed to be wondering after recording the worst time of the nine starters on Saturday. She gave up 1.38 seconds to the leader, the French Tessa Worley, on a course however shortened by five or six doors. In other words, a chasm for a skier of her caliber.
Read the article on Valérie Grenier “When the wind says no”
“I’m a little disappointed with myself,” she admitted before being informed of the cancellation of the race after a half-hour hiatus. “It’s definitely a complex day. It plays in your head when you ask yourself: “Did I get wind, did everyone else get wind?” ”
The 26-year-old praised the course preparers, active all night long to sweep the foot and a half of snow that had fallen, and the audience who greeted her with a deafening roar through the squalls. “Alpine skiing is an outdoor sport. If there’s one thing you learn, it’s that you can’t really fight the weather. ”
Victorious in Sölden in October, she has since been limited to four training runs in giant due to stiff backs. “It’s been in the right direction in the last week,” she encouraged herself.
Twice second in the slalom at Levi, Shiffrin will try to sign a fifth straight win between the stakes at Killington this Sunday. It would thus equal the mark of the great Ingemar Stenmark for the most victories in a single discipline. The Swede won 46 times in the giant slalom in the 1970s and 1980s.
Worley “draws the positive”
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Tessa Worley
The big loser of the cancellation was Tessa Worley, who led the race after cutting the Superstar course thanks to an impossible angulation. Not in a hurry to leave, the 32-year-old Frenchwoman distributed cards with her effigy and autographs to young people who were too happy that she was stopping.
“It is true that it is annoying, she confided to Press. Anyway, it’s weird that the day ends like this. However, there are still a lot of positive things to be learned from it. It is true that this first round was very satisfying for me. I managed to ski and break free despite the difficult conditions, and especially to express myself from the first run. ”
Winner of the inaugural Killington giant in 2016, the two-time world champion did not feel she was wasting her time in Vermont. As she only lines up in super-G and not downhill, she won’t be heading to Lake Louise next week.
Still, Worley didn’t feel like he had moved for nothing. “No, it’s never for nothing,” she said. I had a good preparation course here in the United States. First in Colorado and then we came here. Despite everything, it’s still a World Cup round. There weren’t many starters, but among the best in the standings, I managed to do well. There are satisfactions to be gained all the same. ”
Be careful, snow ahead!
I realized that the day would not be easy when a station employee blew snow in my face when I arrived in front of the press center at 7 a.m. With nearly half a meter of snow fallen since the day before, a path had to be traced for the few thousand spectators expected for the race. The organizers announced 10,000, but many forgot to show up or preferred to have fun in the powder. In any case, there was more atmosphere than at a game of the Buffalo Sabers. Hats off to DJ Z-Trip, who went down on his record players for the hundred brave people gathered in front of the stage at noon.