Worley regains World Championship GS title, Shiffrin earns silver

By Published On: February 16th, 2017Comments Off on Worley regains World Championship GS title, Shiffrin earns silver

ST. MORITZ, Switzerland — The vibe on Thursday at the World Championships venue was pure bliss. Spring-like conditions in St. Moritz had everyone in a good mood, and while the temperatures made for slushy snow, salt and slip crews allowed for a fair and exciting race. Three familiar faces on the World Cup, Tessa Worley, Mikaela Shiffrin and Sofia Goggia, captured gold, silver and bronze, respectively.

Photo by Alexis Boichard/Agence Zoom

Photo by Alexis Boichard/Agence Zoom

Worley–the current leader in the World Cup giant slalom standings–took back her World Championship title with a combined time of 2:05.55. The French athlete was the 2013 World Champion in the same discipline. Coming into the finish, she was not sure her second run would be fast enough to take the gold.

“I wasn’t so sure because, I mean, I had 48 hundredths after the first run and it seems a lot, but it isn’t really,” she said. “It’s just short, and I did a mistake on the second run on the third gate I think, so I said ‘Maybe this mistake will cost a lot.’ I really didn’t know. I was just focused on pushing harder every other gate.”

This is the second gold medal for Worley at this World Championships. She was part of the winning squad in the Nation’s Team Event on Tuesday.

Shiffrin now has three World Championship medals to her name. Her second place in the giant slalom is her first medal in the discipline, coming after winning the 2013 and 2015 World Championship slalom races. Shiffrin, who was in third position after the first run, admitted that she was a bit tentative in the morning.

“This is the first time I’ve actually finished a GS race here,” she explained. “In the first run, I was a little bit tentative because I was thinking about that, thinking about the spot that I fell at last year and then the spot that I fell at two years before that and then when I made it past there, I was like, “Wow! I’ve never skied the bottom of this hill before!’ Definitely, I’m excited to make it to the finish and make it down strong.”

The American fought hard for the silver medal in the second run, gaining four tenths of a second in the final split.

“I was trying to push the whole time, and I didn’t feel like I was going to lose time really so much up there, but just trying to keep everything together, but really push. I didn’t really find my full rhythm until the middle and coming up more on the bottom. I just remembered my coach saying get in your tuck and go, and I felt like I did that.”

Photo by GEPA pictures/ Andreas Pranter

Photo by GEPA / Andreas Pranter

The American is the first female U.S. skier to land on the podium since Julia Mancuso earned a bronze medal in 2005, and is only the second American to win a World Championship medal in St. Moritz so far.

Coming in 0.74 seconds behind her was Goggia of Italy. This is the first World Championship medal for the Italian, who has had a frustrating World Championships until the giant slalom.

“This was my last chance at this World Champs,” Goggia said. “I didn’t have any expectation for this race because I had many on the speed side. But still getting a medal on the last day of race…I’m so happy.”

The last Italian to earn a medal in a World Championship giant slalom was Federica Brignone, who was second in the 2011 World Championship. In Thursday’s race, Brignone was fourth, her teammate Manuela Moelgg was sixth and Marta Bassino was 11th, proving once again that the Italians have arguably the strongest giant slalom team in the world right now.

The U.S. was also represented by Resi Stiegler and Megan McJames. While Stiegler did not finish the first run, McJames, an independent athlete, had a career-best World Championship result, coming in 21st place.

“So, this is my fourth World Champs,” McJames said. “Between World Championships and Olympics, in the past, I’ve gotten super overwhelmed by the atmosphere and energy. This year, I was like, ‘I’m just going to go and instead of trying to block it out, just take it all in and enjoy it.’ Today, I’m really happy because, for the first time this year, I felt like I really went for it and was aggressive and skiing the way I know I can, so I’m feeling happy.”

Marie-Michele Gagnon was the lone Canadian athlete to finish, coming in 20th place. Candace Crawford and Mikaela Tommy did not finish, and Valerie Grenier did not start second run.

World Championship racing continues on Friday, Feb. 17 with the men’s giant slalom.

View more action from the race in today’s photo gallery. 


Top 10

  1. Tessa Worley (FRA) – Rossignol / Rossignol / Rossignol
  2. Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) – Atomic / Atomic / Atomic
  3. Sofia Goggia (ITA) – Atomic / Atomic / Atomic
  4. Federica Brignone (ITA) – Rossignol / Rossignol / Rossignol
  5. Stephanie Brunner (AUT) – Head / Head / Head
  6. Manfred Moelgg (ITA) – Fischer / Fischer / Fischer
  7. Ana Drev (SLO)  – Volkl / Dalbello / Marker
  8. Petra Vlhova (SVK) – Rossignol / Rossignol / Rossignol
  9. Sara Hector (SWE) – Head / Head / Head
  10. Nina Loeseth (NOR) – Rossignol / Rossignol / Rossignol

Official Results

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time Diff.
 1  1  196928 WORLEY Tessa 1989 FRA  1:02.01  1:03.54  2:05.55
 2  4  6535237 SHIFFRIN Mikaela 1995 USA  1:02.73  1:03.16  2:05.89  +0.34
 3  3  298323 GOGGIA Sofia 1992 ITA  1:02.49  1:03.80  2:06.29  +0.74
 4  6  297601 BRIGNONE Federica 1990 ITA  1:03.11  1:03.36  2:06.47  +0.92
 5  13  56217 BRUNNER Stephanie 1994 AUT  1:03.35  1:03.50  2:06.85  +1.30
 6  10  296259 MOELGG Manuela 1983 ITA  1:03.43  1:03.45  2:06.88  +1.33
 7  7  565268 DREV Ana 1985 SLO  1:03.32  1:04.04  2:07.36  +1.81
 8  16  705423 VLHOVA Petra 1995 SVK  1:03.66  1:03.84  2:07.50  +1.95
 9  19  506399 HECTOR Sara 1992 SWE  1:03.68  1:03.83  2:07.51  +1.96
 10  8  425771 LOESETH Nina 1989 NOR  1:03.22  1:04.30  2:07.52  +1.97
 11  5  299276 BASSINO Marta 1996 ITA  1:03.50  1:04.03  2:07.53  +1.98
 12  9  55759 KIRCHGASSER Michaela 1985 AUT  1:03.89  1:03.70  2:07.59  +2.04
 13  25  516528 MEILLARD Melanie 1998 SUI  1:04.09  1:03.68  2:07.77  +2.22
 14  20  197319 BAUD MUGNIER Adeline 1992 FRA  1:03.88  1:04.02  2:07.90  +2.35
 14  15  516268 WILD Simone 1993 SUI  1:03.12  1:04.78  2:07.90  +2.35
 16  17  505679 HANSDOTTER Frida 1985 SWE  1:04.09  1:03.91  2:08.00  +2.45
 17  27  56032 SCHILD Bernadette 1990 AUT  1:03.53  1:04.73  2:08.26  +2.71
 18  11  425929 MOWINCKEL Ragnhild 1992 NOR  1:03.88  1:04.51  2:08.39  +2.84
 19  12  355050 WEIRATHER Tina 1989 LIE  1:03.79  1:04.66  2:08.45  +2.90
 20  14  105269 GAGNON Marie-Michele 1989 CAN  1:04.04  1:04.55  2:08.59  +3.04
 21  31  538284 MCJAMES Megan 1987 USA  1:04.59  1:04.11  2:08.70  +3.15
 22  22  55947 VEITH Anna 1989 AUT  1:04.26  1:04.45  2:08.71  +3.16
 23  30  426187 LYSDAHL Kristin 1996 NOR  1:03.64  1:05.36  2:09.00  +3.45
 24  26  505886 KLING Kajsa 1988 SWE  1:04.71  1:04.55  2:09.26  +3.71
 25  23  505760 PIETILAE-HOLMNER Maria 1986 SWE  1:04.58  1:04.71  2:09.29  +3.74
 26  41  206355 DUERR Lena 1991 GER  1:04.85  1:04.57  2:09.42  +3.87
 27  47  315187 IGNJATOVIC Nevena 1990 SRB  1:05.42  1:04.54  2:09.96  +4.41
 28  29  516562 RAST Camille 1999 SUI  1:05.43  1:04.67  2:10.10  +4.55
 29  48  155699 PAULATHOVA Katerina 1993 CZE  1:04.84  1:05.36  2:10.20  +4.65
 30  33  225525 TILLEY Alexandra 1993 GBR  1:05.16  1:05.42  2:10.58  +5.03
 31  37  425879 RIIS-JOHANNESSEN Kristina 1991 NOR  1:05.64  1:05.15  2:10.79  +5.24
 32  51  435334 GASIENICA-DANIEL Maryna 1994 POL  1:05.60  1:05.24  2:10.84  +5.29
 33  40  206487 WIESLER Maren 1993 GER  1:05.25  1:05.96  2:11.21  +5.66
 34  42  185430 HONKANEN Riikka 1998 FIN  1:05.63  1:05.97  2:11.60  +6.05
 35  32  307493 ANDO Asa 1996 JPN  1:06.14  1:06.39  2:12.53  +6.98
 36  46  405138 JELINKOVA Adriana 1995 NED  1:06.66  1:06.37  2:13.03  +7.48
 37  59  155763 LEDECKA Ester 1995 CZE  1:06.70  1:06.45  2:13.15  +7.60
 38  68  485749 PROKOPYEVA Aleksandra 1994 RUS  1:07.18  1:06.13  2:13.31  +7.76
 39  53  555018 GASUNA Lelde 1990 LAT  1:07.31  1:07.27  2:14.58  +9.03
 40  55  35156 BANCORA Salome 1993 ARG  1:07.56  1:07.18  2:14.74  +9.19
 41  54  536481 SCHLEPER Sarah 1979 MEX  1:08.27  1:07.01  2:15.28  +9.73
 42  66  385106 STIMAC Ida 2000 CRO  1:07.58  1:07.91  2:15.49  +9.94
 43  64  155586 KMOCHOVA Tereza 1990 CZE  1:08.12  1:07.66  2:15.78  +10.23
 44  67  385092 KOMSIC Andrea 1996 CRO  1:07.93  1:08.18  2:16.11  +10.56
 45  70  95112 ASENOVA Vera 1995 BUL  1:08.71  1:07.44  2:16.15  +10.60
 46  63  95050 KIRKOVA Maria 1986 BUL  1:08.50  1:07.76  2:16.26  +10.71
 47  74  255357 EINARSDOTTIR Freydis Halla 1994 ISL  1:07.98  1:08.40  2:16.38  +10.83
 47  65  385101 ZBASNIK Lana 1999 CRO  1:08.66  1:07.72  2:16.38  +10.83
 49  72  705460 JANCOVA Tereza 1999 SVK  1:08.66  1:08.26  2:16.92  +11.37
 50  73  415206 GRIGG Eliza 1996 NZL  1:08.68  1:08.28  2:16.96  +11.41
 51  62  35131 GASTALDI Nicol 1990 ARG  1:08.65  1:08.98  2:17.63  +12.08

 

 

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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