Shiffrin Makes Statement in Aspen GS

ASPEN, CO (Nov. 24) - The U.S. Ski Team's Mikaela Shiffrin put together two solid runs, coming out of the 42nd start position to finish ninth - a career best giant slalom - at the Nature Valley Aspen Winternational. Slovenia's Tina Maze picked up the win to remain undefeated in GS as the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup began a two weekend swing in the USA. Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) was 15th while a still ailing Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) was 21st. NBC will broadcast the GS from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Sunday followed by live coverage of the slalom on the NBC Sports Network from 2:00-4:00 p.m.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) came out of the 42nd start position to finish ninth, a career best giant slalom World Cup at the Nature Valley Aspen Winternational.
• In just her second year on the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup, the 17 year old Shiffrin has six top 10s - five in slalom. Her previous best GS was 26th in Andorra last season.
• Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) was 15th, Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) 21st, still feeling effect of the illness that sidelined her last week.
• Shiffrin, who was third in the Levi, Finland slalom two weeks ago, will be among the favorites in Sunday's slalom. Vonn wil sit it out, resting for next weekend's three speed races in Lake Louise, where she has dominated.
• NBC will broadcast the GS from 1:00-2:00 p.m. EST Sunday, followed by the women's slalom live on NBC Sports Network form 2:00-4:00 p.m.

QUOTES
Mikaela Shiffrin
In GS, it's a big breakthrough for me. I may have approached the second run even a little bit better. The first run I overskied some sections, but I felt awesome - like I was training. So I accomplished my goal for the first run, and second run, it was just like, 'Take it down the hill. See if you can go any faster.' And I think I did.

It gives me confidence for both GS and slalom knowing that I can do it in two events. I just need to keep moving forward - never being satisfied with what I've done and always trying to improve.

In the slalom, I'm just going to take the same approach just put my training run through the race. I've already had some success this year and some disappointments, too. So I can't think about the results and I can't think about 'what if' or doubt myself at all. I know how to ski and I'm just going to go off that.

Lindsey Vonn
I feel like I've run a 100-mile marathon. And I've never run more than five miles in my life. It was a struggle. I tried so hard to get energy back up for the second run, but I just didn't have it. … I didn't have the power to arc the turns.

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