Ski Racing: Tie at the Top

SOELDEN, Austria — What started as a race with possibly too little snow nearly became a race with too much, as course crews worked through the nights leading up to the Soelden World Cup opener to provide a firm surface and the best possible conditions for all competitors in Saturday’s race for the ladies.

 

Despite a noticeably bumpy ride for all who tested the Rettenbach Glacier, 2014 overall champion Anna Fenninger overcame a .09 deficit after the first run to join slalom phenom and now giant slalom victor Mikaela Shiffrin in a tie for the win. Shiffrin, who secured her career first win in the discipline, broke up what very easily could have been an Austrian sweep if not for the lone American on the podium. Her first run indicated that conditions would challenge even the most technically sound skiers.

 

“I had this big, crazy plan to just arc everything and I didn’t arc anything. … But the bottom I think I kind of pulled it together in time to make up some speed on the flats, and that was good,” remarked Shiffrin after first run. “I’m trying to take more of an aggressive mindset so I don’t just sleep out of the starting gate. Sometimes I look a little lackadaisical. I want to try to attack from the start but also loosen up my legs in between turns.”