Switzerland’s Michelle Gisin yesterday consigned American Mikaela Shiffrin to silver after storming to victory in the Olympic women’s alpine combined.
Gisin, third-fastest after the opening downhill, displayed nerves of steel in the slalom to clock an aggregate time of 2 minutes, 20.90 seconds.
“It’s amazing to be on the podium with two such amazing skiers,” Gisin said. “I knew I’d have to deliver the slalom of my life to have a chance to get that gold medal.”
Photo: AP
Shiffrin, who won the giant slalom gold in Pyeongchang, but could only finish fourth in her favored slalom, was almost a second back, while another Swiss racer, Wendy Holdener, claimed bronze.
Lindsey Vonn, leader in the downhill, failed to finish the slalom.
“It’s a nice way to end the Olympics,” Shiffrin said of her second medal. “I started off with a bang, and ending with a medal on the podium is really cool.”
“I came into these Olympics knowing I could be a medal threat in multiple disciplines,” she added. “After the gold in the giant slalom, I was really hopeful and positive. Then I had a tougher day in the slalom, but it still feels good though.”
The race had been billed as a rare showdown between the past and future of women’s alpine skiing, but Gisin proved to be the fly in the ointment in the clash between 33-year-old Vonn and 22-year-old Shiffrin.
The combined, the last individual ski race of the Pyeongchang Winter Games, was their only head-to-head matchup in South Korea.
Shiffrin skipped the downhill after the combined was brought forward a day and Vonn, battling back from a raft of injuries, missed the technical events to focus on the super-G and downhill.
The pair rarely compete against each other on the World Cup circuit because of their preferred specialties, but there was still a feeling that the baton has been passed.
Vonn, who has the most World Cup victories by a female skier (81), is closing in on Ingemar Stenmark’s record of 86 World Cup wins and has pledged to ski until she breaks that mark.
“I knew I had to risk everything,” said Vonn, who won downhill bronze. “I used to win slaloms, but now my body doesn’t cooperate with me as much as I would like.”
Shiffrin has already racked up 41 World Cup victories and could realistically target not only that record, but also many more Olympic and world championship medals.
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