Mikaela Shiffrin matches Lindsey Vonn's tally of 82 World Cup wins with victory in giant slalom at Kranjska Gora
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByEurosport
Updated 08/01/2023 at 13:46 GMT
Sunday January 8 is the day that Mikaela Shiffrin finally matches her legendary compatriot Lindsey Vonn by earning her 82nd World Cup win with victory in the Giant Slalom at Kranjska Gora. Shiffrin had to wait a couple of races upon reaching 81 victories but she is now level with fellow American Vonn for the most wins ever by a female skier on the World Cup tour.
'What an incredible performance!' - Shiffrin records win number 82
Mikaela Shiffrin equalled Lindsey Vonn’s record of 82 World Cup wins after powering her way to victory in the giant slalom at Kranjska Gora on Sunday, becoming the joint-record holder for the most wins by a female skier on the World Cup tour.
Shiffrin went to 81 wins earlier in the week but was denied twice, first by the weather in Zagreb on Thursday, and then by a mistake on the second run in the giant slalom on Saturday.
After matching Vonn she will now have Ingemar Stenmark’s all-time tally of 86 firmly in her sights.
Like any champion, Shiffrin recovered from a disappointing showing in the first of two giant slaloms on Saturday.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2023/01/08/3520835-71763873-2560-1440.jpg)
'I was so nervous!' - Shiffrin reveals pre-race nerves ahead of record-equalling run
Her first run was a blistering pace that no-one could keep up with and whilst the second wasn't as quick, it was still more than enough for the victory. The podium was completed by Italy's Federica Brignone (1:53.54) and Switzerland's Lara Gut-Behrami (1:53.74).
Shiffrin will have a chance to go past Vonn outright on Tuesday in the night race at Flachau.
Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener was first out of the gates on run two after breaking into the top 30, and her second run time of 58.67 slower than the time of 57.85 on her first run.
Her compatriot Andrea Ellenberger established herself as the early second run leader, as 16 racers failed to surpass her overall time of 1:55.31.
What followed was a continuous jostle for top spot, as Norway’s Maria Therese Tviberg emerged as the new leader to trump Ellenberg and move 0.09 seconds ahead of the Swiss skier with a cumulative time of 1:55.22.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2023/01/08/3520654-71760253-2560-1440.jpg)
Shiffrin puts down blistering run to lead the way after first 1 in Kranjska Gora
Ana Bucik of Slovenia then moved six hundredths of a second in front in an increasingly gripping conclusion to the race.
The lead continued to switch hands, with Shiffrin's compatriot Paula Moltzan moving top of the pile with a superb second run time of 58.19 to move 0.32 seconds ahead of Bucik.
Mina Fuerst Holtman was next to go first with a time of 1:54.60, and Ellenberger's stranglehold of the lead seemed like a lifetime ago.
Petra Vlhova then moved top with the final six skiers left with a time of 1:53.84 seconds, before Gut-Behrami briefly topped the podium, as her time of 1:53.74 was ultimately enough to secure third.
There was to be no giant slalom double for Grenier, whose second run of time 1:54.51 meant she missed out on the podium and finished with a time of 1:54.51.
With just Shiffrin left to come, a spectacular display from Federica Brignone briefly put her first with a time of 1:53:54 that secured second.
However, there was an air of inevitability as Shiffrin secured world cup win number 82 with a fantastic run down the course for her eighth win of the season.
Speaking after her record-equalling win, she said: “I was so nervous this run, I have a rash on my face because I was so nervous!
“I don’t know why, maybe because of 82. I really wanted to ski it well and I did; I can’t believe it.
“It was a fight, but the conditions were amazing, and the report from the coaches was that everything was fully attackable so you have to go for it.
“I’ve been in this position and I’ve given it away, but today I wanted to fight for it.”
The Script’s song Hall of Fame was blasted over the speakers, and Shiffrin was overcome with emotion as the scale of her achievement began to sink in.
- -
Stream the 2022-23 Alpine Skiing season live on Eurosport and discovery+
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement