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CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy – Katharina Liensberger held her proper arm up in celebration earlier than toppling over within the end space and mendacity face down within the snow for a couple of moments.
The Austrian skier had additionally simply toppled Mikaela Shiffrin.
By triumphing on the world championships on Saturday, Liensberger ended the American’s report streak of 4 straight slalom titles.
Shiffrin was the primary to come back over and congratulate Liensberger. She hugged her after which stepped again when she noticed a TV cameraman approaching.
This time, the stage belonged to Liensberger.
“It felt like flying somewhat bit, simply getting quicker with each gate, all of the vitality into every flip,” mentioned Liensberger, who was quickest in each runs to beat general World Cup chief Petra Vlhova of Slovakia by one second.
Shiffrin completed 1.98 behind and needed to accept bronze after capturing the title every time since Austrian Marlies Raich — competing below her maiden title Schild — received it in 2011.
“I as soon as actually dreamed that I win a race by one second,” Liensberger mentioned. “However that I might present it at this race makes me extremely proud and grateful.”
After her triumph in Tuesday’s parallel occasion, Liensberger grew to become a double world champion however has but to win on the World Cup circuit.
Did her dominance within the greatest slalom race of the season mark a change of the guard?
The top coach of the Austrian ladies’s staff, Christian Mitter, wasn’t getting carried away.
“It’s a snapshot now, and we take at the present time now as it’s,” Mitter mentioned. “Katharina might be somewhat bit extra the realized skier, and Mikaela somewhat bit extra the pure skier. However they do the important thing factors the identical.”
Liensberger, 23, is a fast learner, based on the coach.
“If you happen to love doing one thing and also you prepare it essentially the most you possibly can, then you definitely grow to be actually good,” he mentioned. “You continue to want the psychological qualities, after all.”
Liensberger definitely confirmed psychological energy.
She had by no means beforehand led a top-level slalom race after the primary run. When she did Saturday, she handled the stress to perfection.
Liensberger didn’t simply defend her first-run lead, she added seven-tenths of a second to it.
It impressed Shiffrin, nevertheless it didn’t shock the American.
“It was only a matter of time for her to win her first slalom race and he or she picked a very good one to do it in,” Shiffrin mentioned.
“She’s snowboarding so robust and he or she simply appears to have such a very good mentality — like a wholesome mentality and actually motivated, simply a tremendous competitor.”
After Shiffrin dominated ladies’s slalom for years, others have began catching up.
First Vlhova. Then Michelle Gisin, who ended the four-year-long profitable streak of Shiffrin and Vlhova in World Cup slaloms in December. And now Liensberger.
“She’s main this type of subsequent technology of athletes,” Shiffrin mentioned. “She’s going to maintain the inspiration going for some time and this one factor that the game at all times wants is somebody bringing in inspiration. That’s actually cool.”
Liensberger’s greatest triumph got here 1½ years after her profession went off the observe. An up-and-coming prospect within the Austrian staff, she made a shock swap from her ski model Rossignol to a different provider, which led to a dispute with the Austrian ski federation.
Liensberger joined revived Austria-based ski model Kästle however did not discover a becoming boot provider as she wasn’t allowed to make use of ski boots from a producer exterior the federation’s provider pool.
The dispute even led to Liensberger having to take a seat out the World Cup season-opener in October 2019, however she re-signed with Rossignol the next month.
The transfer has kick-started her profession.
In 11 World Cup slaloms since, Liensberger was by no means worse than seventh and racked up six podiums, together with in all 5 races this season.
It was becoming that her first win got here on the worlds, as her late grandfather, Albert Liensberger, lived in close by San Lorenzo di Sebato.
The worlds conclude with the lads’s slalom on Sunday.
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