Shiffrin Back on GS Podium with 3rd
LIENZ, Austria (Dec. 28) - World Champion Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) returned to the site of her first Audi FIS Alpine World Cup slalom podium to further her status as a giant slalom threat after finishing third Saturday in Lienz. Fourth after the opening run, Shiffrin stormed within .01 of second place on the icy slope for just the second World Cup giant slalom podium of her young career. Her first came Dec. 1 in Beaver Creek, CO, site of the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. The race will broadcast at 11 a.m. ET on Universal Sports Network.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Eighteen-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) earned the second Audi FIS Alpine World Cup giant slalom podium of her career with third in Lienz.
- It was the final 2014 Olympic qualification race in women's giant slalom. The Olympic U.S. Alpine Ski Team will be named Jan. 26.
- The Austrian village is the site of her first World Cup slalom podium when she was third on Dec. 29, 2011.
- Her first giant slalom podium came Dec. 1 of this year with a second place finish in Beaver Creek, CO - site of the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.
- Fourth after the first run with .35 second deficit, Shiffrin charged within .01 of second place finisher and discipline leader Jessica Lindell-Vikarby of Sweden.
- Austrian Anna Fenninger won for her second straight giant slalom victory in Lienz.
- Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) finished 29th and will return to the U.S. for a planned break. Mancuso will return to action for the speed series Jan. 11-12 in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria.
- Shiffrin and Resi Stiegler (Jackson Hole, WY) return to action Sunday with a slalom in Lienz.
- The giant slalom race will air Saturday at 11 a.m. ET on Universal Sports Network.
QUOTES
Mikaela Shiffrin
I’m normally pretty comfortable within half a second on a first run. It’s always better to come down and feel like you separated yourself from everybody, but I’m not quite there in GS. As long as I am in this position where I can really attack I’m psyched with that.
It’s probably the most injected course so far this season. It turned out really well, especially since it snowed. It’s a little bit bumpy which kind of gets in your head, but if you get your skis on edge you’ll arc through it.
Last time I was in Lienz, I didn’t have a great GS race but I had a pretty good slalom race, so I’m really excited for tomorrow. I’m just thinking day-by-day and trying to put my best skiing out there. I feel like I always leave something on the hill, and I don’t want to do that anymore.
RESULTS
Official Results