Alpine skiing: “A nice surprise”, Mikaela Shiffrin wins the Spindleruv Mlyn slalom and offers herself a record 9th small globe

Mikaela Shiffrin struck another big blow on Sunday less than a month before the slalom of the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina (February 18). The American easily dominated the slope of Spindleruv Mlyn (Czech Republic) and won a 108th victory in the Alpine Skiing World Cup. A double blow, this victory allows him to pocket his ninth small globe in the specialty.

Already well ahead at the end of the first round, Shiffrin beat Swiss world champion Camille Rast by 1.67 seconds and German Emma Aicher by more than two seconds (2.18).

Seventh victory in eight slaloms

After a cautious start in the second run, dropping half a second at the top of the slope, she then let her skis slip away until winning the run and further widening the gap against her competitors.

For his last race before the Milan Cortina Games (February 6 to 22), Shiffrin secured his first trophy of the winter. This is her seventh victory in eight slaloms contested over the season (a second place in Kranjska Gora), the American is guaranteed to win the small globe of the discipline for the 9th time, a record.

She has 780 points, 288 more than her runner-up Camille Rast, who will not be able to catch up with her in the specialty rankings since there are only two slaloms left on the World Cup program (a victory earns 100 points).

“It’s a nice surprise,” reacted the American at the microphone of the International Federation (FIS). “To be honest, it was difficult to think about that today because I really had to focus on today’s race. »

Looking forward to the Games

This is therefore the ninth slalom globe for the absolute queen between the stakes, 13 years after her first in 2013 and 15 years after her World Cup debut, already in Spindleruv Mlyn in 2011. She is only missing 2016, 2020 (Covid), 2021, 2022 and 2025.

In the general World Cup rankings, she is also in the lead with 1,133 points, again ahead of Camille Rast (970).

The Women’s Alpine Skiing World Cup continues with the stage in Crans Montana (Switzerland) on Friday and Saturday, before the start of the Olympics where she is expected to be one of the huge stars.

“The Olympics are a very different challenge,” she said this Sunday. “I experienced great Games (2014, 2018), tough Games (2022), I try to approach them with a good state of mind, I trust my team. The American team is very strong this year. »