Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Friday 15 March 2019
Shiffrin wins super-G

title but 'never

thought' she could

SOLDEU, Andorra (AP) — World Cup event.
Mikaela Shiffrin added "She congratulated me
yet another trophy to her and she basically said,
record-breaking season 'Don't do everything. It's so
at the World Cup Finals on exhausting. I've completely
Thursday. lost my passion.' She looked
Unlike most of her other at me dead straight in the
recent victories and titles, eyes and we'd had spo-
though, this one was unex- ken a little bit before that,
pected. but up until that point, we
Shiffrin won the World Cup were direct competitors
super-G season title for her competing for the slalom
10th career crystal globe globe," Shiffrin said.
— but first in a speed disci- "It has stuck with me, almost
pline. haunted me, to the point
"It's special because I really where I'm like, yeah, I want
never thought I could be to be able to race in every- United States' Mikaela Shiffrin holds the women's World Cup super G discipline trophy, at the al-
in this position this season thing. I want to be able to pine ski World Cup finals, in Soldeu, Andorra, Thursday, March 14, 2019.
already in super-G," said win in everything. But not Associated Press
Shiffrin, who had not won to the point where I'm go-
a race in the discipline be- ing to lose my passion. The an since Maze six years Shiffrin shared fourth with reer victory and first crystal
fore this campaign. schedule is so grueling and ago to win discipline titles Nicole Schmidhofer of Aus- globe.
"The way that everybody racing day in and day out in a technical and a speed tria, 0.44 behind. Schmid- He extended his lead in the
came together and made and especially for some- event in the same season. hofer finished runner-up in final standings to 84 points
this work was just amazing," body who's maybe more "I've dreamed about some- the standings, trailing the over Vincent Kriechmayr
Shiffrin said, paying tribute of an introverted personal- day, maybe, being able to American by 47 points. of Austria, ending a sev-
to her coaches. "We are all ity. I don't necessarily draw win a globe in super-G but The women used the same en-year reign by Norway,
so proud and everybody strength racing or from be- I really wasn't expecting it course as the one for the which swept all super-G
feels some ownership of ing in that spotlight during this season," said Shiffrin, men's race though some titles since 2012.
this." races. That can be really who turned 24 on Wednes- gates were set differently. "It's a dream come true.
Shiffrin finished fourth in the tough. I totally saw it in her day. Shiffrin started the race Dominik Paris secured the It's a lot of hard work and I
season-ending race, which eyes." with a 36-point lead over men's title by winning the pushed always," Paris said.
was won by Viktoria Re- Shiffrin took it as warning. To Tina Weirather of Liechten- season-ending race. Both "I was two, three times very
bensburg of Germany. She the surprise of skiing greats stein, who won the super-G Shiffrin and Paris won super- close to take this but today
has also won three overall like Lindsey Vonn and Bode title the last two seasons. G titles at the world cham- it was working. I am so hap-
titles and six slalom titles, Miller, she skipped the Weirather posted the fast- pionships five weeks ago, py."
and is a strong favorite to downhill and combined est split times but skied out but had not won the sea- Paris beat Mauro Caviezel
add the giant slalom sea- events at the world cham- halfway down her run. son-long World Cup prize in of Switzerland by 0.15
son prize on Sunday. pionships after winning Rebensburg beat Tamara the discipline before. seconds to win the race.
Thursday's result moved gold in super-G. Tippler of Austria by 0.15 Paris won his second race Kriechmayr was third, 0.44
Shiffrin past the 2,000-point Even entering the super- seconds to win the race, in as many days after also behind. The World Cup Fi-
mark in the overall stand- G race at this year's World with Federica Brignone of triumphing in Wednesday's nals continue with the team
ings, making her only the Cup Finals was not obvious Italy 0.34 behind in third. downhill for his 16th ca- event on Friday.q
second skier to achieve the to her, despite leading the
feat in the 53-year history standings after triumphing
of the World Cup after Tina in all three previous World
Maze did it in 2013. Cup super-Gs she compet-
With two races left this ed in this campaign.
weekend, Shiffrin has 2,004 A week ago, Shiffrin posted
points and cannot break a photo on Instagram of
the Slovenian standout's her carrying her super-G
record of 2,414 — but that skis, and saying, "Yes, these
has never been a goal of are my super-G skis, which
Shiffrin's, who skipped vari- can only mean one thing...
ous events this season. take a guess??"
In fact, remarks by Maze Shiffrin's title chase got a
back in 2013 have played boost because several
a role in Shiffrin's decision races she had not entered
not to enter all races. were canceled, most no-
Shiffrin recalled how Maze tably last week in Sochi,
came up to her after she where two super-Gs were
had edged the Slovenian called off because of bad
to the slalom title in the last weather.
race of the 2012-13 season, Shiffrin, who locked up the
in which Maze had com- overall and the slalom titles
peted in each and every weeks ago, is the first wom-