Alpine skiing: Shiffrin is eliminated at the start of the World Cup – Brignone wins

Alpine skiing
Shiffrin is eliminated at the start of the World Cup – Brignone wins

The Italian Federica Brignone competes in the first part of the Alpine Combined competition, the Super-G. photo

© Expa/Johann Groder/APA/dpa

US star Mikaela Shiffrin suffered a bitter disappointment at the start of the Alpine Ski World Championships in France.

US star Mikaela Shiffrin suffered a bitter disappointment at the start of the Alpine Ski World Championships in France.

The defending champion and with 85 World Cup victories the most successful ski racer in history was eliminated in the combined slalom on Monday. Federica Brignone from Italy secured the first gold medal in Méribel, France, ahead of Wendy Holdener from Switzerland and Ricarda Haaser from Austria. The only German starter, Emma Aicher from SC Mahlstetten, took eighth place.

After the Super-G in the morning, Shiffrin went into the slalom 0.96 seconds behind Brignone. The 27-year-old was doing great in her parade discipline before merging just before the finish line. Immediately memories of Shiffrin’s drama at the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, where she had remained without a medal a year ago, were awakened. Her next chance for a medal at the World Championships is in the Super-G on Wednesday.

dpa

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