Shiffrin returns to World Cup action after positive COVID test

Mikaela Shiffrin of Edwards, who saw her overall World Cup lead shrink last week after missing two races due to a positive COVID-19 test, will return to action Tuesday night in a slalom in Zagreb, Croatia.

“See you tomorrow, Zagreb,” Shiffrin tweeted on Monday.

Here’s an excerpt from a Reuters report on Monday:

“The double Olympic gold medallist missed a giant slalom and slalom in Lienz on Dec 28 and 29. Her name appeared on the official start list for the first leg of Tuesday’s slalom with bib number seven.

“Shiffrin is a strong contender for gold in February’s Beijing Winter Olympics after winning the giant slalom in Pyeongchang in 2018 and slalom at the 2014 Games in Sochi.

“She took her 72nd career Alpine skiing World Cup win in Courchevel, France last month and has won four previous slaloms in Zagreb.

“The Swiss ski federation meanwhile announced that Camille Rast, Aline Danioth and Melanie Meillard had tested positive for COVID-19 recently and would miss the Zagreb race.”

Here’s a press release from the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team:

After missing both the slalom and giant slalom races in Lienz, Austria due to a bought with COVID-19, two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin has tested negative and is set to return to the FIS Ski World Cup stage on Tuesday, Jan. 4, to compete in Zagreb’s famous ‘Snow Queen Trophy’ night slalom. Shiffrin has been crowned ‘Snow Queen’ at the venue on four occasions and will look to make a strong comeback from her fourth-place finish in 2020 as she battles for the World Cup slalom title. Currently, she trails rival Petra Vlhova of Slovakia by 120 points in the slalom standings. Still, she has maintained the lead in the race for the Overall Crystal Globe over Italy’s Sofia Goggia.

Zagreb’s night slalom could be a big night for Shiffrin in more ways than one. Her fifth-consecutive slalom win in Killington, Vermont, put her neck and neck with the legendary Ingemar Stenmark for most World Cup wins in a single discipline (46). A win in Zagreb would push her past the outstanding record, marking her 47th slalom win in her career, further establishing her dominance in the discipline.

Shiffrin won’t be the only U.S. athlete making their first appearance of 2022 in Zagreb. She’ll be joined by a crew of fresh faces and World Cup mainstays alike. Paula Moltzan, Katie Hensien, Zoe Zimmermann, Nicola Rountree-Williams, and Lila Lapanja are set to start in the Zagreb night slalom. Tuesday’s appearance will be Rountree-Williams’ career-first World Cup start. 

START LIST
Women’s slalom

STANDINGS
Overall
Slalom

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST.

Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022
6:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women’s Slalom, run 1 – LIVE, Zagreb, CRO, Streaming Ski and Snowboard Live, Streaming Peacock
10:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women’s Slalom, run 2 – LIVE, Zagreb, CRO, Streaming Ski and Snowboard Live, Streaming Peacock