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CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy – After going her whole profession with out a main championship title, Lara Intestine-Behrami added a second gold medal to her burgeoning assortment from this yr’s snowboarding world championships.
Mikaela Shiffrin, in the meantime, earned a silver medal to offer her considered one of every colour – and together with her finest occasion nonetheless to come back.
Intestine-Behrami edged Shiffrin for gold within the big slalom Thursday, making up a deficit on the first-run chief with a blistering remaining leg to beat the American by two-hundredths of a second.
After Shiffrin had accomplished her run, Intestine-Behrami hugged the American and stormed by the end space to rejoice together with her coaches.
“GS has all the time been so vital for me in my whole profession,” the Swiss skier stated. “I all the time knew that if I’m snowboarding effectively in GS then it’s straightforward to be quick even within the different disciplines.”
Intestine has struggled in GS in recent times and did not win a race within the self-discipline since triumphing within the season-opening World Cup race in 2016.
“This yr, I used to be coming again step-by-step,” she stated. “Coming to the end line, I had already on my thoughts it’s the primary time I’m profitable a medal in GS. To win the gold right here is unbelievable.”
Katharina Liensberger of Austria was 0.09 behind in third in what was the closest end ever of a ladies’s big slalom on the worlds. American skier Nina O’Brien was 0.02 behind in second after the opening run however dropped to tenth after a expensive mistake shortly earlier than ending her remaining run.
Many pre-race favorites, together with defending champion Petra Vlhova and Italian duo Marta Bassino and Federica Brignone, struggled with course situations because the snow floor assorted between grippy, icy and gentle.
Intestine-Behrami turned the primary GS world champion from Switzerland since Sonja Nef received the title 20 years in the past. Intestine-Behrami additionally received gold within the super-G and bronze within the downhill at this yr’s worlds.
Shiffrin prolonged her American file together with her tenth profession medal at worlds. She received the mixed occasion on Monday and took bronze within the super-G every week in the past.
Shiffrin dropped 0.14 seconds behind Intestine-Behrami midway by her remaining run however made up time within the flat remaining part. Settling for silver, she stated she was nonetheless “pleased.”
“The very first thing I noticed was the purple, however I felt good with my snowboarding. I used to be pushing. It was not an ideal run, but it surely was aggressive,” stated Shiffrin, who has now received 10 medals from 12 occasions on the worlds since her debut in 2013.
“I’ve by no means been capturing for a variety of medals or these data or one thing,” she stated. “Simply each time I race, I need to win.”
Shiffrin has a shot at one other medal on Saturday, when she goals for her fifth straight slalom title.
“This world champs has been very nice,” she stated. “I’m having three medals now going into the ultimate race the place for positive I’ve one other probability but it surely has already been extremely profitable.”
Approaching her finest profession end result, O’Brien overcame a scare in between runs when her skis initially failed the usual tools take a look at by organizers.
The Worldwide Ski Federation checks ski dimension and setup after every run based mostly on strict guidelines. Racers whose skis don’t meet the factors are disqualified.
Andreas Krönner, the technical operations supervisor of FIS, stated “there was a problem with plate within the binding” on considered one of O’Brien’s skis, which exceeded the allowed top by a mere 0.1 millimeters.
Nevertheless, in keeping with Krönner, the plate was “barely unfastened” and might be moved throughout the tolerance, which allowed O’Brien to begin within the remaining run.
O’Brien appeared on target for a medal however misplaced management of her left ski when she caught a bump with the end in sight.
“I’m just a little dissatisfied that I made that mistake on the backside,” O’Brien stated. “I felt like (the second run) was just a little bit wild from the start. I simply went for it as we speak and it appeared to work out first run.”
Vlhova did not make up a deficit of 1.17 seconds from the opening run regardless of her coach, Livio Magoni, setting the gates for the ultimate run.
The general World Cup chief from Slovakia completed 1.90 seconds behind in twelfth.
Italy didn’t dwell as much as its standing as most important medal contender, with Bassino putting thirteenth and Federica Brignone snowboarding out 40 seconds into her first run.
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