3RD AND 34 FOR MIKAELA.
Mikaela Shiffrin won a World Cup giant slalom on Tuesday, her third victory of the ski season and 34th of her career.
The 22-year-old American was fastest in the first run and had a big enough margin to beat Tessa Worley of France by .99 seconds, in mild and sunny conditions. Italian veteran Manuela Moelgg, 34, was third, 1.01 behind Shiffrin.
“Today I felt really good, like I was just ready to be aggressive,” Shiffrin said. “I’m really excited about it.” Ragnhild Mowinckel of Norway was fourth, 1.02 behind, missing a second career podium after finishing third in the super-G in nearby Val d’Isere on Saturday.
For Shiffrin, Tuesday’s victory was only her fifth in giant slalom, compared to 26 in slalom.
“I was pushing my limits,” Shiffrin said. “That’s what I’m most proud of, even more than the win.”
Shiffrin is the Olympic champion and a three-time world champion in slalom. She was a silver medallist in giant slalom at the worlds last season.
Worley, eighth after the first run, was fast on the bottom section of the Stade Emile-Allais course. But it was not enough to erase the 1.42 seconds she conceded to Shiffrin in the morning run.
Shiffrin is the defending overall World Cup champion and has already opened up a big lead in her title defence. She is 171 points ahead of German skier Viktoria Rebensburg, who finished 14th after a patchy second run.
Shiffrin’s other wins this season were in downhill and slalom.
“It’s been an incredible season so far. Maybe the biggest thing right now is I’m finding the right mentality,” Shiffrin said. “We’ll see how it goes as we move forward.”
Getting ready mentally included psyching herself up before the morning’s first run. “I’ve been feeling better and better with my GS. But sometimes I get to the race and I get nervous,” Shiffrin said after that run. “I got a little bit mad in the start gate and a little bit angry. It was aggressive, so it was a good mentality.”
Worley secured her second podium of the season and 22nd overall, all in GS. Moelgg got her third podium this season and 14th of her long career. The first was in 2004.