At only 27 years old, Shiffrin has thus validated a 78th success in the World Cup and is approaching the women's record of her compatriot Lindsey Vonn (82 successes), which she can consider in 2023, and the absolute record of Swede Ingemar Stenmark (86 ).

Best time of the first round with more than 70 hundredths of a second ahead of the competition, the American was able to be less comfortable on the second course (5th time) while maintaining a 13 hundredths lead over the Slovakian Petra Vlhova and 31 hundredths over the Italian Marta Bassino.

In sight on the Austrian track, Tessa Worley managed two convincing passages to finish 4th (at 48/100) and get closer to her first podium of the season.

A good sign for the French just over a month from the Courchevel / Méribel Worlds (February 6-19).

© VLADIMIR SIMICEK / AFP

"It's quite a good day, I'm satisfied. It was a commitment race, you had to dare lines. It + shook the socks +, as they say. I was very sick after Saint-Moritz ( ten days ago, Editor's note), with the series of trips, races, I had a bad bronchitis. I cut rather than training. I needed freshness, I feel much better “, commented Worley.

"My form is good"

Shiffrin, with a 15th giant victory on the world circuit, returns to Worley (16), the best active skier in the discipline and second all-time behind the Swiss Vreni Schneider (20).

Mikaela Shiffrin during the first round of the Semmering giant counting for the Women's Alpine Skiing World Cup, December 27, 2022 © GEORG HOCHMUTH / APA/AFP/Archives

But it is another record, the most emblematic of alpine skiing, that Shiffrin threatens this season: the 82 successes of the American Lindsey Vonn.

A little less gluttonous for three years than during his three crazy seasons from 2017 to 2019, Shiffrin has found an insane rate of success this winter.

After ten starts, she already has four victories spread over three different disciplines (two in slalom in Levi, one in super-G in Saint-Moritz and, since Tuesday, one in giant in Semmering).

At the third of the season, she has a comfortable margin of 205 points in the general classification over the Italian Sofia Goggia, not aligned with Semmering.

"It's never easy to start a sequence of three races, there I see that my form is good and that I am able to put the necessary intensity. I felt very good today, the second race was difficult to master, but it's a pleasure to ski here," said Shiffrin at the microphone of the International Ski Federation (FIS).

From Wednesday, she will have the opportunity to do it again with a new giant in the Austrian resort, before a slalom on Thursday, the last race in 2022.

On this rescheduled race after the cancellation of the opening giant of Sölden (Austria), the competition however reminded that it was ready.

Petra Vlhova and Marta Bassino, at the top of the classification of the discipline, particularly impressed on the second route, unlike the Swedish Olympic champion Sara Hector (8th).

Coralie Frasse-Sombet finished 11th (at 2 sec 03), Clara Direz 22nd (at 3 sec 41) and Romane Miradoli 28th (at 4 sec 34).

© 2022 AFP