Shiffrin sets another win record, Grenier ends season with giant slalom bronze
The Associated Press | Posted: March 19, 2023 12:13 PM | Last Updated: March 19, 2023
American notches record 21st giant slalom victory of her career
Mikaela Shiffrin won her 21st career giant slalom at the World Cup Finals Sunday as the American standout ended the season with yet another record.
The victory moved Shiffrin past Vreni Schneider, a week after matching the Swiss skier's mark of 20 World Cup GS victories. The American has won seven of the last eight events and took the GS world title last month.
The overall record, between men and women, is held by Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark, who won 46 giant slaloms in the 1970s and 80s.
"I don't know, you guys tell me," Shiffrin said with a laugh when she was asked about possible next records in a course-side interview in Soldeu, Andorra conducted by her boyfriend and World Cup downhill champion, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.
"Just keep moving right along," added Shiffrin, who secured the overall, slalom and GS titles this season and extended the all-time record for most career wins to 88.
WATCH | Shiffrin wins 21st career World Cup giant slalom:
Shiffrin also set a personal best of 2,206 World Cup points from 31 starts this season, two points more than her tally from 2018-19, when she competed in 26 races.
Only one skier secured more points in a single season: Slovenian great Tina Maze ended her 2012-13 campaign on 2,414.
Sunday's result also marked Shiffrin's record 138th career World Cup podium, moving her one ahead of former teammate Lindsey Vonn's mark of 137.
WATCH | Shiffrin all smiles in post-race interview by partner Kilde:
But for Shiffrin, her personal favourite record came nine years ago.
"Honestly, I think probably being the youngest Olympic slalom champion. That was really the only record that I actually ever wanted, like really shot for," said Shiffrin, who was 18 when she won her first Olympic gold at the 2014 Sochi Games.
"It happened quite some time ago, and I'm still motivated today, I still had that nervous feeling up there. I was so nervous at the start … because you want to do well. And it doesn't matter about records, it's just you want to do well."
With the sun beaming down on the Avet course, Shiffrin held on to her a first-run lead to edge Thea Louise Stjernesund by 0.06 seconds, clocking a combined time of one minute 55.88 seconds. The Norwegian earned her first career podium.
Canadian skier Valerie Grenier was third in 1:56.08, trailing Shiffrin by 0.20.
WATCH | Grenier scores bronze medal:
"I'm so happy to finish on the podium," Grenier said in a news release. "Today was the last opportunity this season and after winning earlier in the year, I really wanted to prove that I could do it again. I knew how close we all were heading into the second run, so I had to ski fast and not make too many mistakes to keep my position.
"I wanted the win, but I was really happy when I crossed the finish line in second and I knew that I was going to be on the podium."
The St-Isidore, Ont., native finished her season in seventh place in the giant slalom standings and 25th overall.
"Finishing seventh in the standings was something that I had in my head as a target," Grenier said. "It shows that I've been consistent and that was my main goal this season."
Top competitors have trouble
Three of the top seven ranked racers did not finish their first runs, as Petra Vlhova, who won Saturday's slalom, Federica Brignone and Olympic champion Sara Hector all missed a gate.
Two-time former world champion Tessa Worley placed 11th in what she said would be the last race of her career. The French GS specialist has won 16 races and three season titles, most recently last year.