Sölden (Austria) (AFP)

Of her talent and class, she crushed the competition last season. American Mikaela Shiffrin starts Saturday on the giant Sölden (Austria) his hunt for a fourth big globe and the wildest records of alpine skiing.

With 2.204 points, a chasm ahead of his Slovakian runner-up Petra Vlhova (1.355 points) and four globes (general, slalom, giant, super-G) Mikaela Shiffrin remains on an exceptional season with 17 victories (the previous record of 14 victories belonged to the Swiss Vreni Schneider since 1989), only hitting on the points total of the Slovenian Tina Maze in 2013 (2,414 points).

This season again, no skier seems to be able to challenge her supremacy and stumble ahead of Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark's iconic record of 86 World Cup victories. At 24, Shiffrin already has 60 successes.

The records? "If it happens, so much the better, it's always incredible, it's always an honor, but it's not my ambition, tempers the triple tenante of the big globe in an interview with L'Equipe. in going to practice every day, feeling better on my skis every day, being stronger, making adjustments, applying myself to every detail to push the limits of So, of course, sometimes I feel motivated by the records to beat, but that's not why I'm trying hard, and if I do not fight it, it does not matter. "

- "A season of experimentation" -

And yet, Shiffrin could be all the more impressive during this season without a major goal (neither World, nor Olympic Games). Last year, she had made several dead ends on combined or speed events in order to get in shape at the Worlds d'Are (Sweden) where she had won two titles (super-G, slalom) and a bronze (giant ), bringing its total to seven world medals including five gold.

"This is an opportunity to push my limits in a different way, I do not have to worry about my peak form for Worlds or Games, I only have to focus on the World Cup and the World Cup. While I usually go to the World Championships, maybe I can use it to add one or more speed races, so I would say it's a bit of an experimental season, "she says.

While already part of the very exclusive club of skiers to have won in all disciplines (downhill, super-G, giant, slalom, combined), it should be seen more often threatening specialists downhill speed , having already won the super-G globe last winter.

- French women in sub-numbers -

Far from the domination of the American, the French start the winter on tiptoe. As for several seasons, hopes of victory will rest on the shoulders of the double world champion Giant Tessa Worley who remains on a mixed winter (four podiums including a victory in Sölden opening, only 6th at the Worlds) marked by a right knee which required an operation in April.

With the retirements of Adeline Mugnier (27 years old) and Taïna Barioz (31 years old), two taulières of the team able to enter the top-15 but exhausted by repeated injuries, the elite women's group appears very restricted: they are only five in all (Tessa Worley, Clara Direz, Coralie Frasse-Sombet, Tiffany Gauthier and Romane Miradoli) since the injury of the slalom Nastasia Noens.

"We know that there is a generational gap, admits the director of the team of France ladies Alberto Senigagliesi.There are cycles in all nations, ups and downs, in boys, in girls. I do not think the tank is smaller than before, "he says, highlighting a group of young skiers (between 17 and 20 years) important but not yet mature.

Program of the giant ladies (French hours):

Saturday, October 26: 1st round at 10:00, 2nd round at 13:00

© 2019 AFP