Shiffrin claims super-G bronze, tying her with Vonn for most championship medals

Mikaela Shiffrin of Edwards shook off a lack of speed-event training to grab a bronze medal in super-G at the World Championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on Thursday, tying her with Lindsey Vonn for the most championship medals by an American with eight.

Shiffrin has three more opportunities to break that record as well as add to her record total of five championship gold medals in the coming days, with the combined, slalom and giant slalom still on the schedule. Here’s the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team press release on Thursday’s super-G:

With only four days of super-G training under her belt in the last 382 days, Mikaela Shiffrin secured third place and the 2021 FIS World Ski Championships bronze medal in super-G.

After two canceled races due to snow and fog in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, the sun finally shone brightly on Thursday. And the Swiss women capitalized on the weather, going 1-2 with favorite Lara Gut-Behrami taking the gold—her fifth straight super-G win this season and first World Champs gold medal. Her teammate Corinne Suter was second.

Shiffrin came out swinging in Cortina, looking like she hadn’t lost anything from her time away from speed skiing as she hammered down the super-G. However, she had to pull off a big recovery near the bottom of the course, pushing her into the soft snow and slowing her way down. But she pulled off the athletic move and salvaged the bronze—her second World Championships super-G medal and eighth World Champs medal. The result also ties Shiffrin for the most World Championship medals for any American with former teammate Lindsey Vonn.

“That was so nice to ski!” said Shiffrin. “It’s a little bit soft, but it felt like skiing through butter—so easy and so nice. I felt like I was carrying really good speed and I was having so much fun while I was skiing. I came down to this last section and really wanted to push it. I missed the timing a little bit coming off that terrain…I was like, that looks like a mistake someone would make from someone who hasn’t skied a lot of super-G recently! But it was really fun.”

Not a lot of super-G is an understatement, as the defending World Championships super-G gold medalist Shiffrin only ran four days of super-G training over the last year. With the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season combined with the tragic death of her father, she lost the necessary hours on her long skis. But she looked like she hadn’t missed a beat in sunny Cortina, gliding back to the podium in her first speed event of the year.

The gracious Shiffrin also was quick to commend her competitors. “For me, it’s just an amazing run on a hill I love to ski,” she said. “I knew how the course was supposed to be skied to win. I executed the way I wanted to for the most part, but at the end of the day, Lara was supposed to win this. With the way she’s been skiing all season, it was amazing. I would love to win gold, but it was Lara’s today.”

Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team teammate Breezy Johnson landed in the top 15 in 15th place—her best result in super-G this season. “I’m really pleased with how I skied,” said Breezy. “I went out there with courage and confidence to execute my plan and for that, I’m really grateful.”

But now, Breezy looks towards the downhill, where she’s a favorite after stepping on the podium in four downhill World Cups so far this season. “It’s great to get one race out of the way before the downhill this weekend, which I’m really looking forward to and definitely putting a lot of my hopes on,” she said. 

Bella Wright, in her first World Championships appearance, took 22nd—an impressive result for the young 23-year-old. AJ Hurt also squeaked into the top 30 in her first ever World Championships in 29th. Jackie Wiles was 32nd.

Next up, the women race the World Championships downhill on Saturday. Breezy Johnson will go for the gold, with Shiffrin choosing to sit out and wait for the alpine combined on Monday.

RESULTS
Women’s World Championships super-G

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST

Thursday, Feb. 11
5:00 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women’s Super-G – same-day broadcast, Cortina d’Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN

Saturday, Feb. 13
5:00 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women’s Downhill – LIVE, Cortina d’Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast Olympic Chanel
2:30 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women’s Downhill – same-day broadcast, Cortina d’Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBC
4:30 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women’s Downhill – same-day broadcast, Cortina d’Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN

Sunday, Feb. 14
5:00 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men’s Downhill – LIVE, Cortina d’Ampezzo, ITA, Streaming Peacock
5:00 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men’s Downhill – LIVE, Cortina d’Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast Olympic Channel
12:00 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men’s Downhill – same-day broadcast, Cortina d’Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBC
4:30 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men’s Downhill – same-day broadcast, Cortina d’Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN