Hirscher wins big again in World Cup giant slalom
Shiffrin claims second successive WCup super-G win
VAL D’ISERE, France, Dec 8, (Agencies): Marcel Hirscher dominated yet again in the World Cup on Saturday, winning a giant slalom by a huge 1.18-second margin.
The seven-time defending overall champion protected his first-run lead in steady falling snow to leave Henrik Kristoffersen runner-up yet again. when he placed 30th and last of the secondrun starters. The German skier had been eighth-fastest in the first run but made a big mistake that took him into rough snow.
Tommy Ford of the United States got a career-best finish of sixth, 1.69 behind Hirscher.
Meanwhile in St Moritz, Switzerland, American star Mikaela Shiffrin claimed her second successive super-G win on the women’s alpine World Cup with victory in Saint Moritz on Saturday.
Switzerland’s Lara Gut was second with Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein completing the podium at the Swiss venue.
Former slalom specialist Shiffrin, a two-time overall World Cup champion and the current series leader, underlined her growing appetite for victory in the speed events with her maiden super-G win at Lake Louise in Canada.
In the absence of compatriot Lindsey Vonn, currently sidelined with injury in what is her final season, as well as injured Italian Sofia Goggia, Shiffrin made sure last week’s win in the Canadian Rockies was no fluke.
Despite the threat of overnight snow, it was under clear blue skies the 23-year-old charged down the course to finish in a winning
United States’ Mikaela Shiffrin speeds down the course on her way to win a women’s World Cup super-G in St Moritz, Switzerland on Dec 8. (AP)
time of 1min 11.30sec. Gut was 0.28secs off the pace with Weirather third at 0.42.
It was Shiffrin’s fourth win of the season, adding to two slalom wins, and the 47th of her career.
Despite the perfect racing conditions, the Saint Moritz course proved a step too far for the likes of Austria’s Ramona Siebenhofer, Italian Federica Brignone and Romane Miradoli, the Frenchwoman who had finished sixth at Lake Louise. All skied off course on their way to a DNF (did not finish).
Yet Shiffrin was practically unstoppable, the American underlining her growing proficiency in the speed events to leave a host of fellow favourites off the podium.
Norway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel, second in Lake Louise, finished in fourth with Germany’s Viktoria Rebensburg, third in Canada, only good enough for eighth place.
Shiffrin had previously triumphed at Saint Moritz, in 2016, although that victory came in a slalom.
On Sunday the American can boost her overall World Cup lead further when the women tackle a parallel slalom.