Sensational Mikaela Shiffrin storms to 79th World Cup win with giant slalom victory in Semmering
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ByEurosport
Updated 28/12/2022 at 14:49 GMT
American skier Mikaela Shiffrin secured her 79th World Cup victory in the giant slalom in Semmering, Austria on Wednesday, edging out Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami into second after a brilliant second run. Victory for Shiffrin sees her close in on the all-time women's record of World Cup wins - 82 - held by fellow American Lindsey Vonn.
'Rock and roll racing' - Shiffrin claims 79th World Cup win in Semmering with blistering second run
Mikaela Shiffrin secured her 79th World Cup victory in the giant slalom in Semmering.
Following her 78th win on the same course 24 hours earlier, the American doubled up with a sensational second run to edge out Switzerland's Lara Gut-Behrami by just 0.10 seconds.
Shiffrin's time of 2:03.51 was enough for her latest World Cup win which puts her just three behind the women's record of 82, held by compatriot Lindsey Vonn. She is now seven adrift of Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark’s all-time record of 86.
Italy's Marta Bassino was third with a total time of 2:03.98, while her compatriot Federica Brignone just missed out on a podium finish with a time of 2:04.01.
Following the victory, Shiffrin was able to extend her lead in the overall crystal globe standings and now has 775 points.
Sofia Goggia of Italy is second with 470, while Slovakia’s Petra Vlhova is in third with 456 points after finishing seventh on Wednesday.
Speaking after the victory, she said: “Everybody counts the numbers. What does it mean to have 79 victories? I can’t answer that question because it’s been 12 or 13 years of racing and good races and bad races and highs and lows, and the last three years have been really difficult.
“So, it means a lot. Today, I just say it’s not 79, but it’s just one, and I’m really happy with it.
“Today I was a bit more nervous than yesterday because of yesterday. After yesterday I felt like maybe I’m supposed to win, and any time I feel like that, I don’t win.
“It was hard, so dark and some really big bumps.”
Gut-Behrami led the way after the first run with a time of 59.23, while Shiffrin was well placed in second on 59.45. Italy's Bassino completed the first-run podium with a time of 1:00.04.
Albania's Lara Colturi finished 30th to qualify for the second run with a time of 1:02.58, with the 16-year-old finishing three hundredths of a second ahead of Doriane Escane.
Seven skiers did not finish the first run, while Romana Siebenhofer was disqualified after agonisingly diving through the last gate to prevent a fall.
Shiffrin could have a chance to complete an incredible treble on Thursday, in the slalom race at the same location.
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