Levi’s meander | Queen kicks off the season: Mikaela Shiffrin wins the first race of the season

Three years later, Michaela Shifrin is back on top in Levi’s. World general holder, the American perfectly began her title defense by winning the season’s first Finnish slalom event, the 75th career win at the World Cup. Third after the first run, Vail’s skater made the difference in ramp height during the second, slashing through the wall as her opponent Petra Vlova made the wrong mistake.

The Slovakian will finish third (+0”20), behind Sweden’s Anna Swen Larsson (+0”16). Pace Lena Dwyer repeated, who relived the same scenario as at the Olympics (fourth after dominating the first round). Nastasia Noens, the only French qualifier, finished 26th.

Shifrin melts on Vaughn

Petra Vlhova will not be the undisputed Queen of Levi for long. Twice winners in Lapland in 2020 and 2021, the Slovakian has already seen Mikaela Shiffrin equal her record-breaking 5 wins there. After a contradictory previous season (winner of the All-Around World Cup without a small ball and a complete failure of the Olympics), the American starts 2022-2023 in the best way possible with her first victory in Finland since 2019. Third at the end of first in the Tour, the skater from Colorado passed for the second time, and ahead All in all, she had the advantage of having gaps with her great rival, who left just before her, as soon as she arrived. So I knew right away that Fluva wouldn’t be able to beat her on Saturday. Nor anyone else for that matter.

It must be said that the American has brought her clothes to the occasion, her uniform as the best slalom skier in the world. Especially in the wall. Because on the flat, Fluva made use of her strength to create a huge gap (- 0”14 better than Shiffrin at the entrance to the wall). But the Slovak was then trapped in the downhill, due to a foul, a simple mistake. But in the face of a very fair Shiffrin, make sure she skated, nothing was needed. More committed than in the first round where she struggled in the wall, the American has regained that lightness, that quickness of foot that makes her so formidable up the slope. It is enough for him to take three-tenths of Vlhova at the bottom and win the seventy-fifth victory in his career. She is just seven lengths short of Lindsay Vonn’s record.

Beijing bis to Doerr

But Flova’s mistake also cost her second place since Anna Swin-Larson held the long haul to duel Shiffrin for the win before settling – willingly – in second place, just ahead of the Slovakian. But today’s big disappointment is undoubtedly Lena Dwyer, who relived the terrible scenario of the last Olympic Games. As in Beijing, the Germans dominated the first round. As in Beijing, she was under pressure in the second round, putting in less commitment, and being less relaxed. Like Beijing, it is fourth (+0.75).

High finish first round (8th) With her bib 36, Sweden’s Hanna Aronsson (19) confirmed all her talent in the second-place search for the first 10 (9) of her career. The other Croatian from the first (seventh) round, 18-year-old Zrinka Ljutic, cracked when she appeared to be heading towards at least the top five. A unique Frenchwoman in the second round, by a narrow margin (30th and last qualifying), Nastasia Niens was unable to make a major comeback. Although skiing was a bit more liberating, the housing lock-ups couldn’t have done better than 26th (+3″ 99). Hopefully Sunday’s slalom runs better.