yesterday 08:00
|
Sport is fickle. What was true yesterday may not be valid today. This was confirmed again in alpine skiing and in the fight for a large crystal globe between the Slovak Petra Vlhová and the American Mikaela Shiffrinová.
Read also
Petra Vlhová after dropping out in an open interview: I try not to hang my head, …
Mikaela Shiffrin experienced the Olympics as a nightmare. She was expected to win several medals, but did not win any. She did not finish a huge slalom, slalom or alpine combination. She finished fourth in the team competition and was far behind the podium in the speed disciplines.
Petra Vlhová was more satisfied with Beijing. At first she didn’t win a huge slalom, but then she won gold after a great 2nd round in slalom. She did not participate in other disciplines, had problems with her ankle and decided to go home, regenerate and concentrate on the fight for the big globe.
He was not her goal at the beginning of the season. With the whole team, she focused mainly on the Olympics and a small globe behind the slalom. She won gold, confirmed a small globe in January. However, she was still in the game for the overall championship in the World Cup, Petra Vlhová lost only 17 points to the leader Mikaela Shiffrinová in 2nd place and therefore decided to fight.
After the Olympics, it seemed that Petra Vlhová would be on horseback and would have a great psychological advantage. Mikaela Shiffrin seemed to be isolated after Beijing, and no one knew much about her. She even missed two downhill runs in Crans Montante. Petra Vlhová attended them. She took 29th and 16th place, scored 17 points and caught up with the American woman. They were both the same.
Photo gallery
Petra Vlhová
Source: TASR
–
The next weekend they were on the program of super-G and giant slalom in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. Mikaela Shiffrin also arrived. All eyes were on her fight with Petra Vlhová. Nobody knew how it would be after the failed Olympics.
She was more than good at it, perhaps surprising some. She finished second in the super-G and fourth in the huge slalom, gaining 130 points. On the other hand, Petra Vlhová did not come out for the weekend. She finished 18th in the super-G and was eliminated in the first round in a huge slalom. She scored only 13 points.
So when it seemed after the Olympics that a Slovak skier could have a psychological advantage and a big question mark hung over Mikaela Shiffrinová, everything was different in a few weeks. The American woman gained 117 points in the overall ranking.
Read also
Petra Vlhová goes to battle for a big crystal globe! What races are still waiting for her …
Of course, it is a sport and, as the situation has changed tremendously after the Olympics, it may change in the coming weeks, but we must say that Petra Vlhová is facing an extremely difficult task in the fight for the big globe.
The next weekend in Are, Sweden, where there will be a huge slalom and slalom, will tell a lot, there will be 200 points in the game. Slalom is Petra Vlhová’s strongest discipline, in which she is dominant in the season, but Mikaele Shiffrinová also thrives in it. Each time she reached the finish line, she ended up on the podium and usually second. She did not finish slalom in Kranjska Gora and at the Olympics. Petra Vlhová won six out of eight slaloms in the year, she was second twice.
Photo gallery
Mikaela Shiffrinová
Zdroj: SITA / AP
–
However, if the Slovak skier wants to think about winning a big globe, she will have to overtake Mikael Shiffrin in other disciplines as well. Her lead is not small, but also unattainable. All indications are that he will decide only in the last races of the season during the final week in Courchevel, France.
Petra Vlhová’s victories in slalom alone will not be enough. In addition to slalom, Mikaele Shiffrin also performs regularly in super-G and giant slalom. They are in the same situation in the congress. But Slovenka has fluctuating performances in a huge slalom, she can fight for victory, but she also ends up deep in the field of losers. In super-G, she is able to achieve a good result, but she has not succeeded in the last three races.
We have two exciting weeks ahead of us, during which the situation can easily change several times. Mikaela Shiffrin is on the horse now, but as soon as she replaced Petra Vlhová, the situation may turn around completely.
The whole season is like a roller coaster. Mikaele Shiffrinová is more successful once, Petra Pethová is another time. The ride is coming to an end and it will definitely not be boring. Both skiers have had a difficult and long season, they are exhausted, they are fighting from the rest of the forces. Which will be better? We will find out in the coming days.
Read also
When is Petra Vlhová going? Complete program of the season 2021/2022, results and ONLINE …
–
