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When Mikaela Shiffrin heard an announcer declare her the winner — for the primary time since January — the primary feeling was unhappiness.
Shiffrin earned her 67th victory — tying for third on the all-time listing — and her first because the Feb. 2 loss of life of her father, taking a large slalom in Courchevel, France, on Monday.
She prevailed by .82 of a second over Italian Federica Brignone combining instances from two runs. Shiffrin had a subdued response, later dropping to her knees.
“After all the pieces, it’s exhausting to consider that I might get again thus far,” she mentioned in considered one of a number of emotional post-race interviews. “I’m actually excited, nevertheless it’s additionally fairly unhappy as a result of … I assume that’s apparent. So I assume we are saying bittersweet. That’s a bit bit the title of the day.”
France’s Tessa Worley took third behind Shiffrin, who tied just lately retired (but sparking comeback speculation) Austrian Marcel Hirscher at 67 World Cup wins. Solely Ingemar Stenmark (86) and Lindsey Vonn (82) have extra victories.
“It looks like the primary win of my life,” Shiffrin mentioned. “67, that makes it appear to be in the present day is simply one other day within the journey, and it doesn’t really feel like that.”
“It’s nonetheless a piece in progress,” Shiffrin mentioned after posting the quickest first run by .07 over Italian Marta Bassino. “There’s nonetheless some items the place my mind is like, I don’t know, going someplace away from the course for a second, after which I’ve to come back again. It takes a variety of power to maintain my focus.”
Shiffrin sat out the remainder of the 2019-20 World Cup races after the loss of life of her father, Jeff. She missed this season’s first race, additionally a GS, in Austria on Oct. 17 after tweaking her again in coaching. Shiffrin then positioned second, fifth and fourth in her first three begins — after a 300-day break between races — coming into Monday.
“I’m actually proud,” she mentioned. “I’m completely happy additionally for my workforce and coaches and all people who has been working so exhausting to principally raise me up and get me again thus far. Some days I really feel like they’ve to hold me to the beginning and simply ship me down the course and choose me again up within the end.”
Rival Petra Vlhova received two of these early races with Shiffrin, grabbing maintain of the World Cup general standings lead. However the Slovakian struggled in her first run Monday and skied out simply earlier than the end.
Bassino received the season’s earlier two GS races, however she fell late within the second run.
The World Cup strikes to Val d’Isere for 2 downhills and a super-G subsequent weekend. Shiffrin is sitting out pace races for now. Her subsequent begin will probably come Dec. 28 in Semmering, Austria.
Cheers to the fantastic and sort individuals who mentioned I misplaced my fireplace ceaselessly. This one’s for you. Additionally this one’s for each single one who helps me get the hearth again. pic.twitter.com/PeJvNmiQli
— Mikaela Shiffrin (@MikaelaShiffrin) December 14, 2020
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