MERIBEL – The third Italian medal at the World Ski Championships arrives, and it is the medal of resilience, of the fight against the unexpected. It’s silver for Federica Brignone, after four days of high fever which caused her to miss all her training programs at Les Menuires, which also made breathing difficult. Second, in the Giant of Meribel, for only twelve cents from Mikaela Shiffrin who wins her first world championship in giant and is overwhelmed by the blue in an embrace that smacks of liberation for both. If for one there was her illness, for the American the past few days were enlivened by her clamorous separation from her historic coach, Mike Daywho returned to the US at the current World Cup anticipating the end of his relationship.
Third after the first heat with her helmet reproducing a tiger, her nickname, Federica finished with a time of 2’07″25, snatching the silver by 10 cents from the Norwegian Ragnhild Mowinckel (2’07″35). Fifth place for Martha Bassino (2’07″93) protagonist of a great comeback after closing the first heat in 13th place. This medal is identical to the one conquered twelve years ago at the World Championships in Garmisch, when “Fede” was just twenty years old and second in the giant slalom behind Slovenian Tina Maze. Italy thus rises to second place in the medal table, behind Switzerland and on a par with the United States thanks to the golds of Brignone in combined and Bassino in super-G, in addition to today’s silver.
Federica Brignone: “I think of Elena, but in giant I will be a tiger”
by our correspondent Mattia Chiusano
Brignone: “My weakness was my strength”
“Mentally I was really charged and I made my weak point my strength” Federica Brignone recounts at the finish line. “I was happy to be here and to have managed to put all my energies on the track, from start to finish. I really scraped the barrel, but I’m glad I did and to have obtained this result. I am someone who always wants to work harder. If I don’t work hard, I’m not happy. This time I was able to accept the situation. I was forced to stop, accepted it, and told myself I would recharge for the race. And so it went and I’m really happy about that. Getting on the podium again in a World Championship in giant slalom after 12 years gives me great joy. Today I know exactly what I’m doing. Back then it was an opportunity to take, a dream, but now I immediately realize what I’ve done, and today was really beautiful. Last week was good and bad, my body needed a break. I came back with my head focused 100% and it was my strength”.
When he said “I go down even with a 40 fever”
“I’ll go down even with a 40 fever” announced the Aosta Valley, followed in Meribel by her former champion dam Ninna Quario as a fan. Federica had already won the world gold in combined, but she didn’t want to settle for her, nor find excuses in her illness. She likes the Roc de Fer slope, she won there last year in the World Cup. With a surprising first heat she made it clear that she was there, leaving behind many favorites and giving only 31 cents to Shiffrin and 12 to the French Tessa Worley.
Bassino had made a big mistake in the first heat, risking going off, but with a standard second heat for his class, with only one imperfection, he recovered eight positions. The time of him have not been able to overcome him, among others, the Slovak Peter Vlhova, Swedish Olympic champion Sara Hector, the Norwegian Mina Holtman. However, the Norwegian succeeded Ragnhild Mowinckel and switzerland Lara Gut-Behrami who will remain at the foot of the podium. “I knew I threw the race away a bit in the first heat” says the Piedmontese at the end of the race. “I’m leaving these World Cups with a little regret for the giant”.
Worley falls in front of his audience
Federica Brignone also found energy for the second heat, she didn’t feel the tension, skiing very well especially in the central part and containing Mowinckel’s comeback. On the other hand, Tessa Worley suffered the pressure, acclaimed by her audience: in the second part she slipped away without having gained in the meantime on Federica. Shiffrin remained, who risked a lot in the last gates but managed to stay on the track and keep the blue at a distance, who took back 19 cents.
Mikaela Shiffrin under guard: threatened by ecologists for the use of the helicopter
by our correspondent Mattia Chiusano
Canceled ceremonies for demonstrations
The massive demonstrations against the pension reform in France in the meantime, they changed the program for the World Cup. For safety reasons, ceremonies that are part of the eve of the races have been cancelled. With a press release, the organizing committee of Courchevel/Meribel 2023 announced to the coaches of all national teams the suppression of the bib draw events of the men’s giant on Friday and the women’s slalom on Saturday. “In the interest of the athletes” the organizers specified. The day before, a statement warned those who had to reach the World Cup venues from Moutiers, a possible epicenter of protests linked to the reform, which brings half a million workers to the streets in all the main French cities.
The attention on demonstrations and protests is always very high, to the point of having prompted the authorities of Haute-Savoie to provide a precautionary escort to Mikaela Shiffrin, contested by an environmental group for the use of helicopters that the American actually did not use to train in the Orcières Merlette station.