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KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia — The look of disappointment on Mikaela Shifrin’s face, her mouth hanging open in apparent frustration, adopted by pursed lips, lasted about 60 seconds.
Earlier than the cameras went off Shiffrin And on the following problem, the American regained her smile and was fast to research the lofty expectations hanging over her regardless of ending tied for sixth in her first probability to equal Lindsey Vonn’s all-time Girls’s World Cup wins document.
“I really do not thoughts speaking about it and I am not bored with it,” Shiffrin stated. “I am simply saying. “It’s what it’s.” Everybody goes to say. “You have got an opportunity to win 82 races and tie the document.” each race till I really do it, if I do.
“So it form of does not make a distinction. I nonetheless wish to get out and ski on daily basis. And at this time it was the perfect I might do. However perhaps I could make some enhancements for tomorrow.”
Shiffrin’s five-race successful streak ended Saturday within the large slalom and left her with 81 profession wins, one shy of Vonn’s mark of 82.
Shiffrin, who completed 1.33 seconds behind Canadian winner Valerie Grenier, might nonetheless meet Vonn in one other large slalom scheduled for a similar course on Sunday.
“You at all times need to have persistence when doing (something),” Shiffrin stated. “And I am perhaps not essentially the most affected person particular person, however at key moments I’ve it, as a result of what are you going to do?
“Now the sequence is over and we’re simply going again to sq. one and maintain preventing for the highest step of the rostrum.”
By no means one to hunt an excessive amount of consideration, does Shiffrin simply wish to get the document finished and out of his means?
“I would not say it is one thing you simply graduate from,” he stated. “It is onerous to win races. And what I wish to do on the highway, when snowboarding and what I really achieved with my turns, I am happy with. And I feel individuals are getting sick and bored with listening to that. However that is the one factor that offers me one thing again within the sport, as a result of the document discuss provides me nothing however stress.”
Grenier gained by a snug margin for his first profession win, setting the quickest occasions in each runs. Marta Bassino completed second, 0.37 off her seventh straight large slalom end, whereas Petra Vlhova completed third, 0.40 off her seventh podium end of the season, neither of which was a victory.
Shiffrin was in fifth place after the opening run, however solely had the 18th-fastest second run.
“The factor that stands out in my thoughts was only one lap. I went fairly vast on this second run, however I do not assume that flip value me that a lot,” Shiffrin stated. “So I’ve to take a look at the ultimate pitch and in addition take into consideration what I can do to be extra aggressive. However crucial factor can also be merely to return power.
With seven wins already this season, Shiffrin can also be shortly closing in on Ingemar Stenmark’s mixed males’s and girls’s document of 86 wins.
Background: retired 4 years in the past when accidents ended his pursuit of Stenmark’s document.
Grenier’s finest ends in 89 earlier World Cup races had been fourth on this race final 12 months and fourth within the Tremendous-G in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, in 2019.
Grenier gained three gold, silver and bronze medals on the 2015-2016 World Junior Championships. However just a few months after his then-best end in Cortina, he broke the tibia and fibula bones in his decrease proper leg.
“I had 4 breaks and it took a very very long time to heal. So after the harm, I form of centered extra on the large curl,” he stated. “I really feel like the whole lot is lastly coming collectively and I am lastly snowboarding at my finest.”
A Canadian had not gained the World Cup large slalom since Katie Kreiner in 1974, whereas Kreiner additionally gained the occasion on the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics.
Canadian teammates mobbed Grenier on the finish zone to rejoice.
Grenier’s helmet encompasses a smiley face sticker within the form of an egg as a result of he’s sponsored by Egg Farmers of Ontario.
“I like eggs. I eat eggs on daily basis. I am hooked,” he stated. “So it is the proper sponsorship.”
Whereas there have been few, if any, Canadian or American followers close to the Podkoren 3 course close to the Italian border, there have been loads of spectators waving Slovenian and Slovakian flags.
The primary run was foggy on the prime, however for the second run visibility improved and snow circumstances had been favorable.
Nina O’Brien, one other American racer, fell halfway via the primary run however was not severely injured.
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