Bassino wins 3rd World Cup GS; Shiffrin sixth in Slovenia

Merely put for Shiffrin, it was not her day. She completed the primary run in fourth place, leaving her 0.54 seconds behind Bassino with Gisin in second and Slovakia’s Petra Vlhova in third.

Solely Bassino mastered the second run, which tossed round most, together with Shiffrin, who misplaced her shot through the second interval.

With Maribor, the normal web site of the Golden Fox races, unavailable due to an absence of snow, the ladies’s races moved to Kranjska Gora. Not solely is Kranjska Gora two hours east of Maribor, however its course is 2,000 ft greater and quite a bit steeper than the unique piste.

Shiffrin entered Saturday’s race with some momentum after a riveting victory in Flachau, Austria, on Tuesday.

American Nina O’Brien completed in thirteenth. In keeping with the Related Press, fellow American Paula Moltzan examined optimistic for COVID-19 on Friday and was dominated out for each races this weekend.

The U.S. ski crew stated “ongoing testing” of its skiers and workers “resulted in no different optimistic instances.”

What does it imply?

In truth, Shiffrin probably hoped to construct on Tuesday’s victory with a watch on the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, which begin in Cortina on Feb. 8 with the the ladies’s mixed. Shiffrin didn’t enter the mixed the final time worlds had been held in Are, Sweden, in 2019 through the biennial occasion.

Have been Shiffrin to compete within the first week, when the velocity occasions occur at worlds, it will extra probably be in Feb. 9’s super-G, the place she is the defending champion from 2019. As a result of final season ended between Shiffrin’s father passing in early February mixed with the onset of COVID, she hasn’t been on velocity skis in competitors since she gained a super-G in Bansko, Bulgaria, on Jan. 26, 2020.

Shiffrin has dropped hints that she would possibly brush up her super-G with a watch towards Cortina, but additionally understandably has not dedicated to that race.

All eyes stay on the worlds GS on Feb. 18 and the slalom on Feb. 20. The enormous slalom is admittedly the one main medal lacking in Shiffrin’s assortment. She already has gold within the Olympics in each GS (2018) and slalom (2014). Shiffrin has 4 straight wins at world champs in slalom (2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019).

Information and notes

• Formally, this was Shiffrin’s “worst” end this season. In her seven earlier begins this season, she had completed no decrease than fifth within the second slalom in Levi, Finland, again in November.
• Bassino retained the GS lead along with her third win of the yr. The Italian leads the factors with 300, adopted by teammate Federica Brignone (250), Gisin (192), Worley (191) and Shiffrin (190). There are 4 big slaloms left within the season, together with another on Sunday and a cease in Kronplatz, Italy, on Jan. 26 earlier than worlds.
• Slovakia’s Petra Vlhova took fourth to take care of her World Cup lead with 749 factors forward of Gisin (635) and Shiffrin (525).