Mikaela Shiffrin fails to match Lindsey Vonn’s World Cup record as Valerie Grenier re-writes history in Kranjska Gora

ByBen Southby

Updated 07/01/2023 at 15:44 GMT

Canada’s long wait for a giant slalom World Cup win came to an end when Valerie Grenier topped the discipline in Kranjska Gora. The 26-year-old edged ahead of Italian Marta Bassino and Slovak Petra Vlhova. Mikaela Shiffrin missed the chance to equal Lindsey Vonn’s World Cup record and finished outside the podium positions in joint-sixth with Coralie Frasse Sombet.

Valerie Grenier won the giant slalom in Kranjska Gora for Canada in her first World Cup podium finish, while Mikaela Shiffrin missed the chance to equal Lindsey Vonn’s record.

Shiffrin remains third in the all-time list of World Cup wins with 81, while Vonn, in second, has 82, and leader Ingemar Stenmark has 86.

As the legendary USA skier chases down her fifth-straight overall World Cup crown, Grenier notched her first giant slalom World Cup win.

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Shiffrin had work to do after only managing a first run of 57.36 seconds, 0.31s shy of leader Grenier’s effort, which earned fifth place on the leaderboard going into the second leg.

Lara Gut-Behrami led a World Cup discipline for the first time but was marginally overtaken by Grenier by 0.04s.

USA’s Nina O’Brien was the first victim of the course and the opening DNF of the day after a high-speed slip sent her into a red gate as she slid down the course.

Norway led the standings with a one-two as the second run edged toward the business end.

Mina Fuerst Holtmann took the lead over compatriot Thea Louise Stjernesund by 0.18s.

Michelle Gisin crashed out as Franziska Gritsch took third place with ten riders to ski.

Maryna Gasienica-Daniel narrowly missed out on a podium spot after a disappointing finish to her second run left her in fourth.

Ana Bucik led on home snow by 0.27s with the final eight racers to ski, but the Slovenian celebrations were quickly cut short as France’s Coralie Frasse Sombet nipped ahead by 0.05 seconds.

Sara Hector was next to edge her way onto the podium in third until Vlhova instantly knocked her off with a storming effort in search of her first World Cup win of the season to lead the way by nearly a full second (0.93s).

‘The Vonn quest will have to go on!’ – Shiffrin finishes sixth in Kranjska Gora

Shiffrin, fifth last to race, could only manage joint-second in the standings as she equalled Frasse Sombet’s effort and could only hope to land a podium finish.

Next to lead was Marta Bassino who guaranteed a podium finish with a time of 58.09s, and Federica Brignone’s 58.33s run earned her third spot which knocked Shiffrin and Frasse Sombet off the podium.

Vlhova was guaranteed a podium finish with one left to race, which gave Bassino a nervous wait as run-one leader Grenier shot down the slopes.

Grenier put in an inch-perfect display to win the giant slalom in her first World Cup podium finish.

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