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'Nervous' Shiffrin lands giant slalom double for 79th World Cup win
Mikaela Shiffrin overcame her nerves to complete an outstanding double as she won her second giant slalom in successive days in Semmering on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old American, who tops the overall standings, now has 79 World Cup wins to her name, just three shy of the the women's record of 82 victories set by compatriot Lindsey Vonn.
She is also on track to pass the overall record of 86 World Cup victories set by the Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark.
Despite several errors, Shiffrin edged the Swiss skier Lara Gut-Behrami, who had topped the first run, by 0.10 seconds. Italian Marta Bassino finished third, 0.47sec behind the winner, to claim her sixth consecutive podium in giant slalom.
“I got in a good rhythm at the top and tried to carry the momentum for the bottom but it’s not easy,” said Shiffrin who admitted to having been "more nervous" than on Tuesday.
"It was very dark and it was very bumpy these two days. I just tried to push," she said.
“It’s easier when I expect it’s going to be difficult, I can push harder instead of going back.”
With five wins in 11 starts this winter, the American already has as many victories as all of last season and is now showing the kind of form that brought her 40 wins in three seasons between 2016 and 2019.
World champion Gut-Behrami was 0.22 seconds quicker than the American on the first run but made several mistakes on the second which ultimately cost her the victory.
“It was tough. The snow was really bumpy," said Gut-Behrami, who finished seventh in Tuesday’s first giant slalom.
"I skied for sure faster than yesterday but I didn’t really have a good feeling.
“I just tried to be fast and make the skis run. The second run with that mistake, I just tried to push to the finish line.”
Shiffrin's fifth win of the season gives her a commanding 305-point lead in the overall standings over Sofia Goggia who did not compete in the giant slaloms.
With a slalom scheduled for Thursday, the American has the opportunity to repeat the hat-trick - two victories in giant, one in slalom - that she achieved in the Austrian resort in 2016.
“I am going to try tomorrow but I don’t think I am going to win the race,” said Shffrin.
“I think Wendy (Holdener) is so strong and some of the other women. It’s going to be a tough race no matter what. I am really looking forward to it.”
L. Brown--BTZ
