Share

Shiffrin fights illness, wins 4th straight slalom at worlds

Share

ARE, Sweden (AP) — An unprecedented victory for Mikaela Shiffrin. And easily the most dramatic.

Skiing through illness, the American barely had the energy to celebrate becoming the first ski racer — male or female — to win the same event at four straight world championships.

The 23-year-old Shiffrin won the slalom on Saturday after producing possibly the most resilient performance of her career in the second run, during which she said she “ran out of oxygen” halfway down the course. She overturned a 0.15-second deficit from the first run to win by 0.58 from Anna Swenn Larsson.

“A testament to her grittiness,” Shiffrin’s coach, Jeff Lackie, told The Associated Press, “and what she was able to accomplish in that second run was nothing short of incredible.”

A tearful Shiffrin collapsed to the snow for a while in the finish area. There were two more racers — Swenn Larsson, then Wendy Holdener — still to come down but her time held up.

Trending:
Prince Harry Named in Major Sex Trafficking Lawsuit Against Rapper

When Holdener went off the course early in her run, Shiffrin’s victory was guaranteed and she had an emotional exchange with Petra Vlhova, who finished in third place.

“Everyone around me today was helping me so much to make it so that I could breathe when I needed to,” Shiffrin said, her voice noticeably croaky.

“I don’t want people to think, ‘Oh, I’m sick and I won.’ I mean I was really pushing and maybe I couldn’t have done better if I was feeling normal.”

It was a second gold of these championships for Shiffrin after winning the super-G. She also took bronze in the giant slalom.

She has won five golds at the words, and seven medals in total — putting her just one off the American record held by Lindsey Vonn.

Shiffrin had the fastest second run by 0.62 seconds.

“She’s a standout and had a standout run,” said Livio Magoni, Vlhova’s coach. “There’s nothing to say. Technically, it’s worth watching over and over again to learn from.”

Swenn Larsson won Sweden’s first medal of the championships. Vlhova’s bronze added to the gold she won in the giant slalom.

___

Related:
Former MSNBC Host Chuck Todd Furious After Network Hires Former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel

More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

___

Andrew Dampf on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AndrewDampf

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
Share
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.
Location
New York City




Conversation