Shiffrin wins, USA-CAN women’s hockey rivalry, and more

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Alpine Snowboarding: Shiffrin opens World Cup season with large slalom win

On Saturday, Mikaela Shiffrin kicked off the 2021-22 World Cup season with an enormous slalom win on the Rettenbach glacier in Soelden, Austria. (Video of Shiffrin’s win is embedded above.)

Shiffrin, who trailed Switzerland’s Lara Intestine-Behrami by two one-hundredths of a second after the primary run, skied a close to flawless second run to win the season opener. Intestine-Behrami positioned second (0.14 seconds behind), whereas reigning total World Cup champion Petra Vlhova of Slovakia completed third (1.30 seconds again).

Fellow American Nina O’Brien recorded a career-best ninth place consequence.

The win marked the seventieth World Cup victory of Shiffrin’s profession. Solely two different skiers have beforehand achieved the 70-win feat: Ingemar Stenmark (86 wins) and Lindsey Vonn (82 wins).

Gymnastics: Olympic vault champ Rebeca Andrade follows up with world title

On the Tokyo Olympics earlier this 12 months, Rebeca Andrade turned the primary Brazilian lady to win an Olympic gymnastics medal, claiming silver within the particular person all-around and gold on vault.

The 22-year-old continued her breakout season by competing on the 2021 World Championships, which have been held in Kitakyushu, Japan. (The World Gymnastics Championships aren’t usually held within the Olympic 12 months, however with the Tokyo Video games postponed from 2020 to 2021, this 12 months’s competitors broke that custom.)

In Kitakyushu, Andrade received one other two medals: gold on vault and silver on uneven bars.

Andrade wins vault gold on the 2021 World Gymnastics Championships:

The U.S. ladies closed out the 2021 World Gymnastics Championships with three medals. Leanne Wong and Kayla DiCello completed second and third, respectively, within the particular person all-around (recap and video here), and Wong added a bronze medal within the flooring remaining.

Determine Skating: Aleksandra Trusova wins Skate America with watered down program

Russia’s Aleksandra Trusova tried just one quadruple soar, a lutz, in her free skate at Skate America, however the 17-year-old nonetheless received by greater than 15 factors. Trusova opted to water down her program as a result of an unspecified foot damage. “It was like a day of relaxation,” Trusova said. “We needed to skate right here with three quads however couldn’t. With the damage, I misplaced lots of follow time.”

Previous to Skate America, Truskova had attempted no less than three quads in each worldwide occasion she entered because the fall of 2018, incomes herself the nickname “Quad Queen.”

Trusova’s countrywoman, 15-year-old Daria Usacheva, positioned second at Skate America, whereas 17-year-old You Younger of South Korea completed third.

The U.S. ladies have been led by Amber Glenn, who completed sixth.

Soccer: NWSL playoff image turns into clearer

The bracket for the 2021 NWSL Playoffs is sort of remaining. Final week, the Portland Thorns clinched the NWSL Defend (awarded to the workforce with the most effective common season report), incomes the workforce a first-round bye.

The OL Reign and Washington Spirit have additionally clinched a spot within the six-team playoffs.

2021 NWSL TIMELINE: Amid league failures, players reclaim control

4 groups – Chicago Pink Stars, NY/NJ Gotham FC, Houston Sprint, and the North Carolina Braveness – are at present within the operating for the three remaining playoff spots.

Whereas the NWSL common season nears its finish, the U.S. ladies’s nationwide soccer workforce (USWNT) is in the course of a two-game collection towards South Korea. On Thursday evening, they performed to a 1-1 draw (recap here).

The 2 groups will meet once more on Tuesday evening in what would be the final nationwide workforce recreation of Carli Lloyd’s profession.

Hockey: Canada defeats U.S. 3-1 in first recreation of “My Why” Tour

It stays the most effective rivalries in sports activities: the U.S. and Canada in ladies’s hockey. Within the lead-up to the Winter Olympics in February, the 2 groups are going through off no less than seven occasions as a part of the “My Why” Tour.

On Friday, Canada received the primary recreation of the tour 3-1, with targets from Sarah Fillier and Emily Clark.

Hayley Scamurra recorded the U.S. workforce’s lone purpose.

The U.S. and Canada meet once more tonight in Hartford, Connecticut (7pm ET, NHL Community).

Comply with Alex Azzi on Twitter @AlexAzziNBC