On a slalom which started slightly higher than that of the combined, Mikaela Shiffrin prepared her second run as well as possible by not committing any fault this Saturday morning. The quadruple world champion in the discipline set the benchmark time in 52.54 on the Roc de Fer track in Méribel.
By starting with the first bib and without making a huge impression during her passage, Mikaela Shiffrin relegated her closest pursuer, Wendy Holdener, to 19 hundredths. The Swiss was even ahead of Shiffrin at the second intermediate but she turned red at the bottom of the track. The runner-up to the American in the slalom World Cup standings remains in the match to challenge for the title in the second run.
Behind, the Canadian Laurence St-Germain had a very good run with her bib number 18 to rank third (+0”61). German Lena Duerr, who won the last World Cup slalom at Spindleruv Mlyn in the Czech Republic, is in ambush for the medal (4th at 0”92).
Les Bleues too far
Even if the French women’s team did not win the slightest medal during these World Championships at home, Marie Lamure shows great things. Fourth in the parallel on Wednesday, the 21-year-old skier set the 19th time (+1”96) and ranks first in France. Nastasia Noens failed at the top of the course and conceded 2”30 on arrival (25th). Chiara Pogneaux takes the qualification in extremis with her 28th place (+2”39) unlike Doriane Escané, 33rd at 2”55.
Mikaela Shiffrin will try to win her eighth world gold medal in the discipline where she certainly has the most margin over her opponents, the slalom globe having already been won two races from the end of the World Cup. The second run will start at 1:30 p.m. on snow that will most certainly be salty due to the high temperatures.