Giant of Are: Shiffrin one heat from Stenmark’s record. Brignone fourth

Stenmark’s record is really one step away: Mikaela Shiffrin is in the lead in the first heat of the giant from Are (Sweden). There is only one victory left to reach the 86 successes of the Swedish champion, a World Cup record, and the American champion is halfway there. The closest is the Canadian Valerie Grenier, at 58/100, then the Austrian Gritsch (at 93/100). Fourth (at 1”04) Federica Brignone, looking for her first success in the specialty this season. Safe and fast, Fede paid for an uncertainty on a bump that made her lose speed. Also chasing the podium are the Polish Gasienica (fifth at 1″08), the Swedish Hector, at 1″13, and the Norwegian Stjernesund, at 1″16. Then her gaps become even greater, including those of Marta Bassino, who has returned to the race after the serious mourning that has struck her family: she is at 1 ”73.

The race

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On the track where she conquered the first success of her career, on December 20, 2012 she won the slalom, Shiffrin put on a perfect race: no risk, precise and very fast and as often happens, in the final she built an even bigger advantage. Six tenths of the second gained on Brignone came from the last two sectors. With the release of Lara Gut, the only one who could reach her, Shiffrin is already certain that she has won the second giant cup, the tenth specialty, which will go in company with the fifth general trophy of which she is already certain since last weekend of World Cup. This season she has won 5 of the last six Giants contested, the last three in a row, as well as the World Championship gold in Courchevel / Meribel.

The blue ones

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Sofia Goggia (with 31), Elisa Platino (38) and Roberta Melesi (43) have yet to leave.

Soon the complete service.