Featured Picture: Mikaela Shiffrin. Credit score: GEPA
At present, the ladies launched the final day of competitors on the Stifel FIS World Cup Finals in Solar Valley, Idaho. The climate and circumstances have held up, and the devoted efforts of the course crews ensured that the eagerly awaited slalom occasion kicked off easily.
The primary run course was set simple, down the autumn line, with a slew of combos, so it was attackable, however the ladies needed to dance.
Mikaela Shiffrin got here into the Stifel World Cup Finals with a strong perspective and an eagerness to show herself.
This has been a difficult season for her with an enormous slalom crash and a mixture of excessive and low factors. She had acknowledged, “I feel the toughest factor about this season has been the peaks and valleys.”
“I are likely to function finest at a extra even keel, even emotionally. However when there are extraordinarily good moments and intensely unhealthy moments, that’s what actually takes all of my power to simply handle it,” Shiffrin continued.
Nonetheless, her psychological boundaries didn’t present in her first run in the present day. She fired out of the beginning and located the rhythm off the bat. She instantly set the lead and continued to construct all through the course. She got here down into the roaring U.S. crowd, 1.22 forward of Katharina Liensberger, who was first out of the beginning.
She heads into the second run 0.59 forward of the sphere, so she may have a snug result in present her robust snowboarding on residence snow. Nonetheless, the opposite athletes won’t be backing down, so she nonetheless must lock in.
Lena Dürr and Wendy Holdener Head into Second Run in 2nd and third
Lena Dürr of Germany got here into the Stifel World Cup Finals with 15 profession World Cup slalom podiums. In her first run, she confirmed aggression to place herself able the place she might step onto the rostrum once more.
She threw down a powerful run, displaying inexperienced via the center part of the course. She misplaced a bit pace to Shiffrin via the ultimate part of the observe however was the closest contender to the US athlete. Dürr heads into the second run 0.59 behind the lead.
Though Dürr is out of rivalry to earn the slalom globe, she nonetheless has the power to attain the highest 3 for the season within the self-discipline.
Swiss athlete Wendy Holdener is trailing Ljutic by 96 factors, so she has the power to carry the self-discipline globe. Holdener has been the runner-up for the globe twice in 2018 and 2023. She used all of that to inspire her, which confirmed in her aggressive method to the primary run.
The veteran athlete has earned the rostrum 3 times this season however seems to be to attain a victory. She’s going to go away nothing on the hill within the second run with the aim of transferring up and proving herself.
Zrinka Ljutic’s Combat for the Globe
If Zrinka Ljutic ends the day on the rostrum, she’s going to solidify the slalom World Cup globe, so the stress is on for the Croatian.
The 21-year-old presently holds a 41-point lead forward of her nearest rival, Camille Rast. In Ljutic’s final six World Cup slaloms, she has gained 3 times and completed on the rostrum as soon as.
She skied the primary run with management however didn’t accumulate the pace via every flip that Shiffrin displayed in her run. She’s going to head into the second run +1.99 behind Shiffrin’s lead in twelfth place. She may have her work minimize out for her to succeed in the highest 3 within the second run.
North People
Paula Moltzan of the Stifel US Ski Crew got here into the race in the present day sporting a bandage on her chin after a gnarly crash within the big slalom. Nonetheless, she didn’t maintain again. She had a couple of errors however continued to get well and push herself.
She got here throughout the end +1.86 behind her teammate however will head into the second run in eighth place.
Alpine Canada Alpin athletes Laurence St-Germain and Ali Nullmeyer have been each pushing it via the course, executing clear, strong snowboarding. Nullmeyer obtained caught up within the closing gates of the course however managed to sneak round them. They completed in 18th and nineteenth place heading into the second run.
The second run begins at 12:00 MST and the self-discipline World Cup globe continues to be very a lot on the road. Who will take it? Tune in to search out out!
Prime 3 After First Run
Outcomes After First Run
North American Outcomes and Evaluation
