Alpine SkiingBeijing 2022
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The expected protagonists of the Olympic slalom experienced a crazy race: Petra from eighth place to a first gold that seemed to be lost, Mikaela out immediately as in giant and with many doubts related to super-g and combined.
Wednesday 9 February 2022 5 minutes reading time
They dominated an entire four-year period, but there was a risk that neither of them would win the most important title.
Petra Vlhova, in an almost daring way but also with a second heat as a great champion, finally managed to conquer that Olympic gold in slalom which, seeing her amazing season, is the right crowning of a career ( and we are talking about an athlete of just 26 years!) who already counted on specialty cups, absolute cup and world gold in giant. For the great rival Mikaela Shiffrin, who won that medal 8 years ago in Sochi, it all ended at the fourth gate of the 1st heat.
Vlhova was very good at making the most of a very complicated situation, not only for the eighth place at 72 cents from Lena Duerr after the first heat, but also because she never really adapted on this particular snow. Yet the second one was enough, traced by his technician Mauro Pini with the right amount of difficulty and changes of pace that put Duerr and Gisin in difficulty in the first place (while Sara Hector had done everything very well and ... gave an encore of 'gold). "I'm too happy, I can't believe I became Olympic champion - declared the holder of the crystal ball at Eurosport - In the 1st heat I didn't ski well, I was angry and I tried to give what I could (which wasn't her maximum seen in season, that's for sure) in the second.
It was enough to win, these are enormous emotions that are difficult to describe, but I feel I have to thank my staff who continued to have confidence even in the middle of the race. The pressure was there, on the other hand I am the only representative of my country and I am aware of having made history (first Slovak Olympic medalist in alpine skiing), but with the right people by your side you can do anything ".
Mikaela Shiffrin's race, as mentioned, lasted a flash and in two races, remembering the giant, the American champion has basically put together 11 doors. Absurd, but obviously the adaptation to this snow condition and, thinking of today's slalom, also the conditioning of what happened two days ago, meant that the first two medal chances vanish in this way. “Initially I was very bad, it's natural, now it's a bit better - Shiffrin told Eurosport before the 2nd round of the colleagues - I don't know what to think, I have to try to understand what happened. I feel like saying that today I had the mentality and the approach to do well, but it went this way and we need to reflect on the reasons ".
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Slalom Female Beijing (CHN)
VLHOVA Petra
LIENSBERGER Katharina
HOLDENER Wendy
Beijing 2022
Wednesday 9 February 2022
Beijing 2022
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Second run of the Olympic slalom: Duerr-Gisin-Hector with margin, but anything can happen
Wednesday 9 February 2022
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