When he saw the time scoreboard he let himself fall into the snow. Mikaela Shiffrin is in the legend: before, between women or men, to win 100 races, 14 years after her debut in the World Cup. This, chased her since the end of November, when she had seriously injured Killington, remaining two months. Then a slow ascent towards a resurrection that however seemed never to arrive.
Only on Saturday in the giant, 24 hours before this historical triumph, Mikaela had not in fact ranked for the decisive heats, 33/a between tears. Instead she returned, winning in her own way, or with a nice advantage, The special slalom on the track Giovanni Alberto Agnelli. With her on the podium of the Sestriere the Croatian Zrinka Ljutic and the compatriot Paula MolTzan. “It was difficult to resume the rhythm of the competition, to train despite the injury and confront me with all these strong and fast skiers,” said Shiffrin, in tears, while he got off the podium. «Several times I wondered if I had made the right decision returning to compete … it takes time to find the right mood, I’m enjoying this victory, I know I did a long way to get it – added the American , 30 years old on March 14th – I never thought of getting to this figure one day: My dream since childhood is to make nice curves and improve every day». The future can wait: “Now I just want to enjoy this day, to grasp this small moment of happiness after so many difficult”.
One hundred victories are a number that will remain for a long time in the Guinness Book of Records. That of Mitico Swedish Ingemast Sternmarh, with 86 successes, resisted decades. And for a woman the 82 of Lindesy Vonn, another great American, also seemed unreachable. No glory, however, once again, in this discipline for Italy: the best was Marta Rossetti, sixteenth. Then Martina Peterlini 19/AE Lara della Mea 21/a. Dominik Paris, who returned to the podium – the 48/or for the best blue sprinter – with a nice 3/or placed in the superg of Crans Montana thought about raising the blue fate. The victory went to the landlord, the Swiss champion Marco Odermatt. For him is the success n.45 in his career, the eighth of this season that is ensuring his fourth consecutive world cup at 28 years of age. Behind him the compatriot Alexis Monney. Paris’s is also a small resurrection. At the end of December – on the beloved Stelvio track of Bormio where he had won repeatedly – it was a total flop. Paris seemed crashed into a abyss. Instead he held hard and, race after race – with a few quarters as in the World Cup – the China went back. For Italy – On the national track with flat visibility for the covered sky and with a not easy tracking for the many hidden doors and trajectories therefore to be memorized at the best on a very hard bottom – there is then the beautiful fifth place of the other Azzurro Mattia Case. A result that launches him with 260 points in second position in the Superg ranking behind the usual Odermatt, at 441 with a very close discipline cup. A great race also by Christof Innerhofer, who with his 40 years and the 12th place has put many young talents in line. On Saturday and next Sunday the Mand Men Cup will be in Slovenia for the giant and the Kranjska Gora’s special. The Women’s World Cup instead goes now in Norway, in Kvitfjell. From Friday to Sunday there will be two descends and a superg: other races for Federica Brignone and Sofia Goggia.