Shiffrin chased by a bear to win Slovakian slalom

By Published On: March 6th, 2016Comments Off on Shiffrin chased by a bear to win Slovakian slalom

Mikaela Shiffrin admitted after her first run in Jasna that she was scared – afraid of her own shadow and, apparently, bears. Whichever she imagined was chasing her in Slovakia, it clearly worked, motivating her to ski to a 2.36-second lead for a combined time of 1:55.60.

“Both runs, I just I tried to pretend that there was a bear chasing me or something,” she said. “I was kind of scared both runs and I was like ‘Just go faster!’ It worked really well. It was kind of rough, but a really good course and the course workers did a great job keeping it together. I’m thankful for that and to all the people that came out.”

The American has won every slalom that she has started this season, putting her in fifth in the World Cup slalom standings. But Shiffrin’s two-month hiatus due to injury made room for another to take the slalom globe. Frida Hansdotter of Sweden – despite finishing 10th on the day – secured the discipline globe thanks to six podium finishes this season including one win in Lienz, Austria.

“I didn’t ski for two months this year, but she still had to perform in the two months I was gone and she did exactly what she needed to do in order to win the title,” Shiffrin said. “I think she’s been going for that the past few years and I’ve been able to get away with it, but this year, it was different and she deserves it.”

Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener captured the second fastest combined time of the day, making up time on the second run to earn her fourth podium finish of the season.

“I’m so happy that I made it,” Holdener said of the tough conditions and long course. “It was tough the second run, but it was really good. I thought the slope is more broken, but it was really good. I can’t believe that I was in the first position when I got to the finish because I had a big fight. I’m so happy.”

The Swiss skier was followed by hometown hero, Veronika Velez Zuzulova, who fed off the local crowd’s energy to ski to third place. Slovakia has not hosted a World Cup race since the year Zuzulova was born – 1984, adding special importance to the podium finish.

JASNA,SLOVAKIA,06.MAR.16 - ALPINE SKIING - FIS World Cup, slalom, ladies, award ceremony. Image shows the rejoicing of Veronika Velez Zuzulova (SVK). Photo: GEPA pictures/ Walter Luger“I can say maybe it was the toughest podium of my life, and even the nicer,” said the Slovakian. “Because we are like a small country, there was a lot of pressure, and the people, when I saw them, I knew they want just a podium. They will be not happy with another result. So I tried to do my best, and I am really happy that I am on the podium and that they go away from here happy.”

After first run, it looked like there might be two Slovakians on the podium, but Petra Vlhova was unable to maintain her top-three position, and finished in ninth place.

“For Petra, her first run, I think everyone was excited about that,” Shiffrin said. “I think she’ll come back with a vengeance tomorrow after not getting on the podium, but she’s been skiing so well and I think she’s going to be really great competition for the rest of our career(s).”

The only other American to crack the top 30 was Resi Stiegler, who finished in 24th place. Lila Lapanja and Paula Moltzan did not finish the first run.

The athletes have one more day in Jasna. They will race the rescheduled giant slalom on Monday with a scheduled start time of 10 a.m. CET.

Fans can stay current on the World Cup circuit by downloading the new U.S. Ski Team iOS app powered by Ski Racing here.


The Scoop
by Hank Mckee

  1. Shiffrin, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
  2. Holdener, Head/Head/Head
  3. Velez Zuzulova, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
  4. Kirchgasser, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
  5. Noens, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
  6. Gagnon, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
  7. Loeseth, Volkl/Lange/Marker
  8. Strachova, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
  9. Vlhova, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
  10. Hansdotter, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
  • Women’s World Cup slalom, Jasna, Slovakia, March 6, 2016. … It is the 33rd of 41 races on the women’s schedule. … The ninth of 10 scheduled slaloms. … It is just the sixth World Cup race hosted at Jasna, and the second for women. … The last women’s slalom at the site was March 18, 1984 and was won by Austrian Roswitha Steiner.
  • It is the 19th career World Cup win for Mikaela Shiffrin, 18th in slalom. … It is her fourth win of the season having missed from five slaloms from Dec. 6 through Feb. 15. … The winning margin is 2.36 seconds. … It is the fourth largest winning margin in a World Cup women’s slalom and the third top-10 slalom margin Shiffrin has recorded this season. … Top three finishers are within three seconds. … It is the 301st U.S. World Cup win and the 14th this season.
  • It is the sixth career World Cup podium for Wendy Holdener. … The fourth in slalom. … It is her fourth podium of the season. … It is the second Swiss slalom podium of the season.
  • It is the 24th career World Cup podium for Veronika Velez-Zuzulova and her fifth of the season.
  • It is the 20th top six World Cup placing for Marie-Michele Gagnon. … And her third best finish this season. … It is the 76th career scoring result for Resi Stiegler and her 10th of the season.
  • Lindsey Vonn (did not race) leads the World Cup overall standings 1235-1207 over Lara Gut (DNF 1st). … Viktoria Rebensburg (did not race) is third overall with 914pts.
  • Frida Hansdotter (10th in race) leads the slalom standings 651-546 over Veronika Velez-Zuzulova and cannot be beaten for the slalom crown. … Holdener sits third in slalom with 511pts and Shiffrin fifth at 400pts.
  • Austria leads the women’s Nations Cup 3753-3510 over Italy. … Switzerland is third with 3201pts. … The U.S. is fourth at 2746 and Canada eighth with 1152pts.

Official Results

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time Diff. FIS Points
 1  2  6535237 SHIFFRIN Mikaela 1995 USA  58.04  57.56  1:55.60  0.00
 2  1  516280 HOLDENER Wendy 1993 SUI  59.92  58.04  1:57.96  +2.36  14.70
 3  7  705287 VELEZ ZUZULOVA Veronika 1984 SVK  59.71  58.66  1:58.37  +2.77  17.25
 4  9  55759 KIRCHGASSER Michaela 1985 AUT  1:00.64  58.07  1:58.71  +3.11  19.37
 5  6  196806 NOENS Nastasia 1988 FRA  1:00.18  58.65  1:58.83  +3.23  20.12
 6  8  105269 GAGNON Marie-Michele 1989 CAN  1:00.10  58.85  1:58.95  +3.35  20.87
 7  5  425771 LOESETH Nina 1989 NOR  1:00.06  58.90  1:58.96  +3.36  20.93
 8  3  155415 STRACHOVA Sarka 1985 CZE  1:00.30  58.77  1:59.07  +3.47  21.61
 9  14  705423 VLHOVA Petra 1995 SVK  59.92  59.68  1:59.60  +4.00  24.91
 10  4  505679 HANSDOTTER Frida 1985 SWE  1:01.14  58.59  1:59.73  +4.13  25.72
 11  23  296354 COSTAZZA Chiara 1984 ITA  1:01.27  58.73  2:00.00  +4.40  27.40
 12  11  505760 PIETILAE-HOLMNER Maria 1986 SWE  1:00.63  59.44  2:00.07  +4.47  27.84
 13  17  56032 SCHILD Bernadette 1990 AUT  1:01.51  59.03  2:00.54  +4.94  30.77
 14  34  306249 HASEGAWA Emi 1986 JPN  1:02.37  58.32  2:00.69  +5.09  31.70
 15  19  296509 CURTONI Irene 1985 ITA  1:01.71  59.61  2:01.32  +5.72  35.63
 16  28  56143 GRUENWALD Julia 1991 AUT  1:02.83  58.53  2:01.36  +5.76  35.88
 17  37  565320 FERK Marusa 1988 SLO  1:02.35  59.06  2:01.41  +5.81  36.19
 18  36  425981 SKJOELD Maren 1993 NOR  1:02.05  59.39  2:01.44  +5.84  36.37
 19  32  297601 BRIGNONE Federica 1990 ITA  1:02.18  59.37  2:01.55  +5.95  37.06
 20  20  506341 WIKSTROEM Emelie 1992 SWE  1:02.77  58.79  2:01.56  +5.96  37.12
 21  30  515997 FEIERABEND Denise 1989 SUI  1:02.88  58.72  2:01.60  +6.00  37.37
 22  18  196726 BARTHET Anne-Sophie 1988 FRA  1:02.60  59.08  2:01.68  +6.08  37.87
 23  22  206355 DUERR Lena 1991 GER  1:01.70  1:00.09  2:01.79  +6.19  38.55
 24  15  537772 STIEGLER Resi 1985 USA  1:02.86  58.95  2:01.81  +6.21  38.68
 25  26  516334 CHABLE Charlotte 1994 SUI  1:02.60  59.23  2:01.83  +6.23  38.80
 26  47  155728 DUBOVSKA Martina 1992 CZE  1:03.00  1:00.02  2:03.02  +7.42  46.21
 26  31  55898 BREM Eva-Maria 1988 AUT  1:02.69  1:00.33  2:03.02  +7.42  46.21
Disqualified 1st run
 54  205239 WIRTH Barbara 1989 GER
Did not start 1st run
 42  196803 MOUGEL Laurie 1988 FRA
Did not qualify for 2nd run
 59  299276 BASSINO Marta 1996 ITA
 57  197319 BAUD MUGNIER Adeline 1992 FRA
 52  298124 AGNELLI Nicole 1992 ITA
 51  385096 POPOVIC Leona 1997 CRO
 50  225518 GUEST Charlotte 1993 GBR
 46  485637 ALOPINA Ksenia 1992 RUS
 45  56174 HAASER Ricarda 1993 AUT
 44  506555 BLOMQVIST Lisa 1994 SWE
 43  196725 BARIOZ Taina 1988 FRA
 12  106961 MIELZYNSKI Erin 1990 CAN
Did not finish 2nd run
 24  206279 GEIGER Christina 1990 GER
 16  506146 SWENN-LARSSON Anna 1991 SWE
 10  55977 THALMANN Carmen 1989 AUT
Did not finish 1st run
 60  435334 GASIENICA-DANIEL Maryna 1994 POL
 58  665009 SHKANOVA Maria 1989 BLR
 56  705394 KANTOROVA Barbara 1992 SVK
 55  56333 MAIR Chiara 1996 AUT
 53  56282 RESCH Stephanie 1995 AUT
 49  206408 WEINBUCHNER Susanne 1991 GER
 48  107387 CRAWFORD Candace 1994 CAN
 41  56126 ZELLER Lisa-Maria 1992 AUT
 40  107427 ST-GERMAIN Laurence 1994 CAN
 39  539927 LAPANJA Lila 1994 USA
 38  565331 LAVTAR Katarina 1988 SLO
 35  539909 MOLTZAN Paula 1994 USA
 33  516138 GUT Lara 1991 SUI
 29  565401 BUCIK Ana 1993 SLO
 27  206487 WIESLER Maren 1993 GER
 25  296259 MOELGG Manuela 1983 ITA
 21  56315 TRUPPE Katharina 1996 AUT
 13  516284 GISIN Michelle 1993 SUI

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About the Author: Gabbi Hall

A California native, Gabbi moved to Vermont to ski on the NCAA circuit for St. Michael’s College, where she served as team captain and studied journalism. Before joining Ski Racing, she worked as a broadcast TV producer and social media manager in higher education. She can be reached via email at gabbi@skiracing.com