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SAALBACH HINTERGLEM, Austria (AP) — For Mikaela Shiffrin, this season’s award for best slalom athlete is different from the 15 crystal globes the American star won earlier in her career.
For a change, this time it doesn’t feel like the season is over.
Shiffrin won her record-extending 60th slalom victory and 97th overall in Saturday’s World Cup final, capping off a season marred by a recent six-week injury break.
she was already locked up She won her eighth season title in slalom. Last week, he returned by winning his first race since hurting his knee in a race. Collision downhill It will be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, in January, but the globe will only be handed over after the final race.
“It was like midseason for me. I’m probably the most excited to be here. Everyone wants to go home and I’m like, ‘No!’ thought. We’re just starting again,” Shiffrin said, adding that her feelings had “a lot to do with the crowd here being so supportive.” We’re already excited to be back because it gives us the same emotions we want to feel in a race. ”
Shiffrin celebrated her 29th birthday on Wednesday. said on Instagram Slalom will be the last race of the season, skipping Sunday’s giant slalom and next week’s speed event.
“I’m really happy because I feel like these last two races gave me something to be really proud of,” Shiffrin said.
The two-time Olympic champion sprained the MCL and tibiofibular ligament in her knee, but was also still recovering from a bone bruise she sustained earlier in the season when she was one of the many World Cup, Olympic and World Championship champions. Ta. A jam-packed program in January will be a huge failure.including her partner alexander aamodt kilde.
“Oh, it’s been a great season,” Shiffrin said. “I’m looking forward to seeing Alex and looking forward to going home, but I don’t want the season to end.”
Shiffrin won nine of the 21 races she competed in this season, but missed many races while recovering from a knee injury and had to cede the overall title. Americans have won the Big Glove five times since 2017, and Swiss skier Lara Gut-Behrami is all but certain to be the new champion.
“I think it was a very educational experience. You always learn something every season,” Shiffrin said. “This competition taught me a lot about patience, trust, communication and how to continue skiing while dealing with pain. These are really important things, so I hope they will help me in my future career as well. I am.”
On Saturday, Shiffrin trailed Anna Sweyn Larsson of Sweden in the first run, but ultimately won the season-ending slalom by 0.54 seconds over Norway’s Mina Ferst Holtmann, with Swen Larsson leading the way. He fell to 3rd place with a difference of 0.63 seconds.
Shiffrin ended the season with back-to-back wins, leaving her just three wins away from 100 wins, a milestone that had long seemed out of reach.
with major competitors Petra Vlhova and wendy holder Shiffrin, whose season ended early due to an injury, took her career total to 60 with seven wins in slalom this season. No other skier, male or female, has won more than 46 races in a single event.
Asked about her win total in a trackside television interview, Shiffrin paused before answering.
“It’s a little hard to process everything. I’ve been feeling really energetic lately and it makes me feel so alive, so that’s what I’m focusing on. I’m trying to absorb it all. ” she said.
“I’ve never really valued numbers, but now I feel like I’m fine with numbers. There’s no pressure or anything, it’s just an honor.”
On the first run course set by Shiffrin’s coach Karin Harjo, Swen Larson was 0.11 seconds faster than Shiffrin.
“The skis felt really good and I thought my gear was set up really well for this run. I was pushing,” Shiffrin said of the difficult course conditions after an overnight rain softened the snow. Ta.
“It was totally fine, so I was able to skate as much as I wanted. Ideally, I could have been a little more clean in some sections, but I think I actually pushed as much as I could there.”
The next women’s final race is Sunday’s giant slalom, where Gut-Behrami will start with a 95-point lead over Italian challenger Federica Brignone.
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AP Ski Details: https://apnews.com/hub/Alpine Skiing
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