Alpine skiing: the combined world title for Brignone, the ghosts of Beijing for Shiffrin

Europe 1 with AFP 7:07 p.m., February 06, 2023

Far from the joy of the Italian winner Federica Brignone, the American favorite Mikaela Shiffrin created the sensation by going out in the last gates of the combined slalom, the first event of the Alpine Skiing World Championships on Monday in Méribel.

A year later, Shiffrin rediscovered the bitter taste of the failure experienced at the Beijing Olympics where, despite her talent and her immense track record, she had sunk with three off-track runs and no podium.

The sun floods the resort of Méribel, yet almost asleep Monday at halftime of the Alpine Combined, where a meager public made the trip for the return of the World Championships in France.

Eileen Shiffrin walks up the main street, her back arched under her champion daughter's belongings and skis.

Yet accustomed to carrying a ton of expectations on her shoulders, Mikaela Shiffrin surprised and woke up the finish racket by coming out at the bottom of the slalom, while the title seemed to be at the end of her skis.

An almost unthinkable scenario as the American has had the season of her life, with 11 victories in 23 World Cup races.

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Shiffrin "not bothered"

Her abandonment revives bad memories of the Beijing Olympics, where, a year ago, the champion had cracked for the first time in her career, without being able to explain her failure.

"It didn't bother me, but I knew people would ask me, she assured after the race. I'm not afraid of it happening again. What happened last year, I survived it. To choose between my season, where I did several incredible races, and not getting any medals at the Worlds, I would take my season."

The Colorado skier has had a record season so far.

She managed to bring her success total to 85 to surpass the women's record of her compatriot Lindsey Vonn (82) and approach that of Swede Ingemar Stenmark (86).

In the last three seasons, Shiffrin, a very reliable skier, has only gone off the track five times, including three times at the Olympics and once at the Worlds.

The American must now revive to avoid the scenario known in China, before the super-G, the giant slalom and the slalom in Méribel, which she will compete in.

Far from being worried, she spoke positively after leaving the track: "I'm disappointed not to have finished and not to have had a medal, but I'm also quite happy because I skied really well ."

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Brignone, the eye of the tiger

Winner of the combined, the Italian Federica Brignone is not a champion at a discount, despite the failure of Shiffrin.

Superb in the morning during the super-G, disputed with a terrifying and inspiring tiger printed on his helmet, Brignone had pushed the competition far, in particular Shiffrin to almost a second.

Voluntary, the 32-year-old Italian achieved the second time in the slalom, a feat when she rarely competes in this event on the world circuit.

Rarely, she gleaned her second planetary medal… twelve years after the first, obtained at the end of the giant disputed in Garmisch-Partenkinchen.

"It was a long time ago, I was young, no one thought I was going to win a medal, she recalled at a press conference. I was not on top during the other Worlds: it was the mental in Cortina d'Ampezzo (2021), the knee in Are (2019) and I was not very good mentally besides being sick in St. Moritz (2017).

Brignone thus far outstripped the Swiss Wendy Holdener (at 1 sec 62), double world champion in the specialty (2017 and 2019), and Olympic silver medalist in the total of the two rounds.

Austrian Ricarda Haaser completes the podium at 2 sec 26/100, while double Olympic champion Michelle Gisin only took sixth place.