Seeking speed: Shiffrin eyes return to super-G training

Since her return to Alpine skiing’s World Cup six weeks ago, Mikaela Shiffrin has been solely focusing on her strongest events: slalom and GS.

That might change in two weeks’ time, though.

After finishing fourth in a World Cup slalom in Croatia on Sunday, the American three-time overall champion was eyeing a return to training in speed events, with the Feb. 9-21 world championships in Italy approaching.

Shiffrin won a record fourth straight slalom title, but also a super-G gold at the worlds in Sweden two years ago.

A winner in all six Alpine disciplines, Shiffrin decided to focus on her core events first when she returned to the circuit from a 10-month break in November.

She has not skied on the long boards since winning a super-G in Bansko, Bulgaria, more than 11 months ago.

“I’ve not had time for speed training, yet,” said Shiffrin, who will next race a night slalom in Flachau, Austria, on Jan. 12 and two giant slaloms in Maribor, Slovenia, the following weekend.

“Then there might be a chance to get one or two sessions on super-G skies before (the Jan. 26 giant slalom in) Kronplatz,” she said. “That would be ideal — that’s the plan.”

Picking up super-G training again in the third week of January could enable Shiffrin to compete in the speed events at the world championships.

The Alpine combined, the super-G and the downhill are all scheduled in the first six days of the championships.

“It’s not out of the cards but it’s not a certainty right now,” Shiffrin said. “It really depends on what kind of training I can get beforehand. I probably don’t need a lot of training but I need some and it needs to be good and productive.”

However, the amount and quality of her speed training is not the only aspect Shiffrin will be factoring in.

National federations only get a limited number of starting spots for each race at world championships, and Shiffrin pointed out she was reluctant to take a teammate’s place.

But with Shiffrin as the 2019 gold medalist, the U.S. ski team gets an additional starting berth for the Feb. 9 super-G race.

“That’s nice because that opens it up a little bit,” she said.

Still, she won’t start in a speed race in Cortina d’Ampezzo next month just for the sake of racing it.

Canucks get provincial approval to play in British Columbia

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA » The Vancouver Canucks received provincial approval Sunday to play in British Columbia this season.

British Columbia Premier John Horgan announced decision on Twitter, saying he had spoken to team owner Francesco Aquillini about the NHL’s return-to-play plans and believes the enhanced health measures mean games can be played safely.

British Columbia is the second province to officially approve NHL games, following Alberta.

Last week, a health official in Manitoba told The Canadian Press that the province was working toward approving games being played in Winnipeg. Officials in Ontario and Quebec have not commented on whether competition has been approved for the three teams in those provinces.

The NHL season is set to resume Jan. 13, with the seven Canadian team playing in one division so they don’t have to cross into the United States for games.

Penguins sign D John Marino to 6-year extension

PITTSBURGH» The Pittsburgh Penguins are betting big on defenseman John Marino.

The team signed the

23-year-old Marino to a sixyear contract extension on Sunday that carries an average annual value of $4.4 million.

The deal caps a meteoric rise for Marino, who was acquired from Edmonton in July 2019 in exchange for a sixth-round pick. Marino impressed as a rookie last season, scoring six goals to go with 20 assists in 56 games to go with a plus-17 rating. Marino is the sixth rookie defenseman in team history to register 20 assists.

The contract starts immediately and runs through the

2026-27 season.

“We are very fortunate to have a young, skilled defenseman like John in our organization,” Pittsburgh general manager Jim Rutherford said in a statement. “His rookie season proved he is a topfour defenseman with great hockey sense. We were impressed with his strong defensive play and look forward to watching him develop offensively.”

Man City surges to 3-1 win over Chelsea in Premier League

LONDON» Manchester City left Chelsea in disarray by sweeping to a 3-1 victory on Sunday with a ruthless attacking display that consigned Frank Lampard’s team to a fourth loss in its past six Premier League games.

lkay Gündo an, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne scored in a devastating 16-minute first-half spell as City rose to fifth in the standings despite coronavirus cases depleting the squad.

Chelsea is only three points behind City but has played two games more and the manner of this defeat will be alarming to notoriously impatient owner Roman Abramovich.

The absence of any crowd due to coronavirus restrictions spared Lampard from any negativity from his own fans at least.

City had been missing five players due to coronavirus infections and there was off-field tumult in the buildup to the game caused by defender Benjamin Mendy breaching pandemic restrictions on interhousehold mixing by holding a New Year’s Eve party.

With Ederson in isolation recovering from COVID-19, goalkeeper Zack Steffen started his first Premier League game. It was a nervy start for the 25-year-old American, earning a booking for handling outside the penalty area after five minutes.

But thanks to City’s scintillating forays forward and Chelsea’s attacking deficiencies, Steffen wasn’t tested.

Instead it was opposite number Edouard Mendy picking the ball out of his net three times.

In the 18th minute, Foden received a pass from De Bruyne and teed up Gündo an on the turn to net his third goal in four games.

City was in devastating form, orchestrated as so often by De Bruyne with less than three minutes between the opening two goals.

An initial cross from the Belgium playmaker was intercepted by Thiago Silva, but he regained the ball to set up Foden for the second. It was a slick final touch from Foden that allowed him to beat Mendy at his near post. Chelsea was in disarray. The third was started and completed by De Bruyne. He headed to Sterling to launch a breakaway down half the length of the pitch unchallenged before hitting the goal frame with a shot. By that time, De Bruyne had arrived to meet the rebound in the 34th minute.