Despite the coach’s exit during the World Cup, Mikaela Shiffrin is undeterred in giant slalom and is in the lead after the first round. Tessa Worley and Federica Brignone are just behind the American. The DSV starters miss the second round.
Frenchwoman Tessa Worley started in front of her home crowd with start number one. It’s the last World Championships for the 33-year-old and thanks to a strong first run she can hope for a medal at the end. Only one driver was able to beat Worley’s first best time: Mikaela Shiffrin, the dominator of the current giant slalom season.
Shiffrin undeterred despite the coach’s departure
The American initially got off to a bad start and was well behind the leading French. But on the finish slope, she showed off her entire class and crossed the finish line with a lead of twelve hundredths. So Shiffrin showed no weakness despite the turmoil surrounding her coach the day before. It was announced on Wednesday that she had separated from her coach with immediate effect.
In a separate class, as so often this season, Shiffrin did not drive today: In addition to Worley, the Italian Federica Brignone still has a chance of winning gold in the second run. After a courageous and sensitive drive, she is only three tenths behind the American in third place.
The pursuers
After the first run, six riders are only up to a second behind and are still within striking distance of the podium: The second in the current giant slalom classification, Lara Gut-Behrami, took a lot of risks when starting the race. Once she almost slipped on the inner ski, which cost her time. She finished fourth at the finish.
With Ragnhild Mowinckel, the 2018 Olympic silver medalist in this discipline, and Mina Fürst Holtmann, two Norwegians are lying in wait in fifth and sixth place. Sweden’s Sara Hector (7th) and Poland’s Maryna Gasienica-Daniel (8th) are a good six tenths down on third place.
Disappointed favourites
Mikaela Shiffrin’s permanent rival Petra Vlhova should not be satisfied with her first run. The Slovakian is only ninth at halftime. Marta Bassino and Valerie Grenier, both of whom have already won a giant slalom World Cup this season, made big mistakes in their runs after strong intermediate times. Italy’s Bassino was around 1.5 seconds behind. The Canadian Grenier even has to worry about the second round with a deficit of more than three seconds.
DSV starters miss the second run
Kira Weidle was the first German starter and showed a solid drive as a speed specialist. She was only a second behind, but then she caught a shot, went off the ideal line and missed a goal. Jessica Hilzinger did not reach the finish line either, she fell just before the finish line. Emma Aicher was the only DSV starter to finish, albeit too far behind – the second round will take place without German participation.