Stuhec Wins Again as Shiffrin 13th in Super G
CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (Feb. 25, 2017) – Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) scored valuable points toward the overall World Cup title Saturday, finishing 13th at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup super G under brilliant blue skies and warm sunshine.
Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec won Saturday’s race by 0.50 seconds over Italy’s Elena Curtoni in second, and 1.09 seconds over Austria’s Stephanie Venier. With the victory Saturday and her second-place finish in the alpine combined Friday, Stuhec is only 258 points behind Shiffrin in the overall standings.
Once again Saturday, athletes faced soft snow surfaces as temperatures in Crans-Montana reached into the lower 40s.
“It’s still warm, so it’s a little bit soft, but there was a solid base and surface,” said Shiffrin, who did not start Friday’s alpine combined due to the soft snow conditions. “Definitely when I went number two the surface was smooth and fine. I just didn’t quite handle the peely snow as well as I could have, and I was a bit conservative in sections that I didn’t want to be. But I’m happy to get a run in on this hill.”
Lindsey Vonn crashed in Saturday’s super G race in Crans-Montana. (Getty Images/AFP-Fabrice Coffrini)
Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) and Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) weren’t quite as fortunate today. Ross, went wide on a right-footer, taking out a gate panel, while Vonn slipped out in the soft snow just a few seconds into her run, crashing through a course banner and into the B-net. However, both athletes were able to ski down the mountain.
Other American finishers included Alice McKennis (New Castle, CO) in 32nd; Jackie Wiles (Aurora, OR) in 34th and Anna Marno (Centennial, WY) in 37th.
“I’m pretty bummed with my result,” Wiles said. “I think I left a lot out there today. I had great training coming in, a good warm up this morning and I was in the right mindset to really attack and have a good day, but I don’t know what went wrong.
“I’ll look at some video and see what went wrong today, and have another go at it tomorrow,” she added.
Shiffrin will also look at video and see where she can make up time in Sunday’s alpine combined.
“I’ll get the video and I’ll watch a lot and compare with Ilka (Stuhec), who has been skiing really well, and see the sections where I can charge a lot harder,” Shiffrin said. “I know there are a lot of sections where I need to attack more. So I’m excited for tomorrow.”
Just five World Cup events remain, including Sunday’s alpine combined in Crans-Montana, before the season concludes on home soil for World Cup Finals in Aspen, Colorado March 13-19.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec won Saturday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup super G.
- Italy’s Elena Curtoni was second, and Austria’s Stephanie Venier finished third.
- Mikaela Shiffrin finished 13th while Lindsey Vonn and Laurenne Ross did not finish.
- Road to Aspen: With the victory Saturday, and her second-place finish in the alpine combined Friday, Stuhec is 258 points behind Shiffrin in the overall standings. Stuhec also leads the overall World Cup downhill standings and is third in the super G standings, just 16 points behind Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein.
QUOTES
Mikaela Shiffrin
It’s still warm, so it’s a little bit soft, but there was a solid base and surface. Definitely when I went number two the surface was smooth and fine.
I just didn’t quite handle the peely snow as well as I could have, and I was a bit conservative in sections that I didn’t want to be. But I’m happy to get a run in on this hill.
I feel really good on my skis. I didn’t feel like that run showed it. But I also felt like I had some reservations after seeing how it was (Friday) and I really wanted to ski the whole course and make it down and try to put a time in there. But I wasn’t totally sure how it was going to run. So having a run under my belt is really nice.
I’ll get the video and I’ll watch a lot and compare with Ilka, who has been skiing really well, and see the sections where I can charge a lot harder. I know there are a lot of sections where I need to attack more. So I’m excited for tomorrow.
A lot of it is about tactics and how comfortable they are sending a really tight line over terrain, over blind knolls and trusting their inspection. I feel like I have the instincts – I know where I’m supposed to be theoretically, but I’m not always able to actually get there. That’s part of learning and being able to ski super G at high speed, versus just inspecting it and kind of theorizing about what it’s supposed to feel like.
Jackie Wiles
I’m pretty bummed with my result. I think I left a lot out there today. I had great training coming in, a good warm up this morning, and I was in the right mindset to really attack and have a good day, but I don’t know what went wrong.
I’ll look at some video and see what went wrong today, and have another go at it tomorrow.
BROADCAST AND LIVE STREAMING (times EST)
All events streaming at www.nbcsports.com/live
Saturday, Feb. 25
2:00 p.m. – women’s super G – Universal HD
Sunday, Feb. 26
4:30 a.m. – women’s alpine combined – super G – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
7:30 a.m. – women’s alpine combined – slalom – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
5:30 p.m. – women’s alpine combined – Universal HD
RESULTS
Women’s super G
