(Zhangjiakou) Valérie Grenier was wary of the tricky snow in Yanqing, but it was ultimately a gate a few meters from the finish that put an end to her Olympic ambitions on Monday morning (local time).
Updated yesterday at 11:52 p.m.
Bib 19, the Franco-Ontarian was definitely heading for a top 10 in the first run of the giant slalom when she took a slightly too daring trajectory three doors from the line. Her left arm snagged the stake causing her to lose her stick and spin her around. Leaving the course, she was unable to complete the race when she was a second and a half behind the leader.
“Of course it’s really disappointing, I had more expectations than that,” Grenier said over the phone.
The representative of the Mont-Tremblant club especially regretted her attitude at the start after having seen previous competitors struggle, such as defending champion Mikaela Shiffrin, dismissed from the fifth gate.
“It looked really difficult, since the snow is so different. Even the best had trouble skiing as usual. It seems like it took a bit of my confidence away, like I wasn’t going to be able to ski well myself. »
Grenier quickly lost half a second, a gap that grew to 1.36s. “From the start, I was on the defensive. Looks like I was just throwing my skis sideways. I’m really disappointed with myself. I could have tried to go [à fond] from the start. »
The 25-year-old started pushing harder in hopes of making up for lost time. The tactic worked until the door surprised her.
“I don’t even know what happened. My arm caught in a gate, I think. I was off course before I knew what had happened. »
Earlier, Shiffrin had been trapped by artificial snow from the Yanqing National Center. The triple Olympic medalist’s run ended after 11 seconds in the 5and turn. She landed on her left hip after an edge fault.
PHOTO LUCA BRUNO, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mikaela Shiffrin of United States leaves the course near the finish area after skiing off course during the first run of the women’s giant slalom at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
“I was pushing really well and attacking, but I just made a simple timing error when I edged and slipped off the course,” Shiffrin told local media. The snow conditions are fantastic, but there is no room for the slightest mistake. I’m glad I pushed, but yeah, [sortir] after five doors, it hurts. »
The holder of the most World Cup victories (73) had completed her last 30 giant slaloms, a streak dating back to January 2018.
“It doesn’t happen too often that I fall. I really worked on getting the timing right in my turns and never thought that would be part of the problem. »
Shiffrin, who is aiming for participation in the five individual events at the Beijing Games, will be able to resume on Wednesday in the slalom. The 26-year-old won gold at this event in Sochi in 2014.
Grenier will not be so lucky: the giant was his only competition in China. She returns home on Tuesday.
At the PyeongChang Games, she did not complete the second round of the giant, but then she took part in the super-G (23and), downhill (21and) and the Alpine Combined. His sixth place in this race was the best Canadian result in South Korea.
Subsequently, the representative of the Mont-Tremblant club continued her ascent in the speed events before a serious accident slowed her momentum. At the 2019 World Championships, she broke her leg in four places in a fall during super-G practice.
After missing a full season, she was unable to regain her confidence in the speed disciplines. A “mental block” convinced her to focus on giant slalom.
After a great start to the season (7and in Sölden), Grenier was slowed by another injury, a fracture to both tibial plateaus, following a fall in training in December in Italy.
Against all expectations, she returned less than a month later to achieve her best result in the discipline, a fourth place in Kranjska Gora. Under the circumstances, she allowed herself to dream of a podium at her second Games.
“It’s really not the end of the world,” insisted Grenier. People around me think it’s the Olympics or nothing, but it’s not. It would have been amazing to get on the podium, but it’s not that bad. People need to understand that it’s not just the Games that matter. There is also the World Cup which is important. »
Yanqing’s course had the best of 20 of 82 starters, including contenders like Italian Marta Bassino, Norwegian Mina Fuerst Holtmann and Austrian Stephanie Brunner. In her first Olympic start, Canadian Cassidy Gray, 21, did not finish either.
Sweden’s Sara Hector, who has three wins this winter, moved into the lead after the opening run. She holds a lead of 0.30s over Austria’s Katharina Truppe and 0.42s over Italy’s Federica Brignone. Slovak Petra Vlhová, world champion in 2019, points 13and, at 1.78 sec. Round two is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. local time.
Grenier consoled herself by attending the men’s downhill. At the time of the interview, his teammate Jack Crawford was in third place, but he was knocked off the podium by the incredible Johan Clarey. The 41-year-old Frenchman slipped into second, 0.10s behind the Swiss Beat Feuz.