Shiffrin clinches record 9th slalom Crystal Globe with dominant win in last race before Olympics
CBC
Mikaela Shiffrin has locked up the slalom season title with the Olympics looming to become the first skier in the six-decade history of the World Cup with nine season titles in one discipline.
The American star might have to share her record soon, though, as teammate Lindsey Vonn has eight downhill titles and currently holds a commanding lead in those standings in her second season back from her initial retirement in 2019.
On the men's side, Ingemar Stenmark won the slalom globe and Marcel Hirscher the overall title eight times each.
Shiffrin dominated the last slalom before the Milan Cortina Games on Sunday, securing top spot in the discipline standings with two races to spare.
Shiffrin won both runs to beat runner-up Camille Rast, the world champion from Switzerland, by 1.67 seconds in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic. The rest of the field, led by Germany's Emma Aicher, trailed by more than two seconds.
Justine Lamontagne of St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que., was 26th among the 27 finishers.
Shiffrin's victory came a day after she earned her first giant slalom podium in two years.
But the American was reluctant to read too much into those results and how they may translate to her form for the Olympics, where she plans to start in slalom, GS, and the team combined.
"At the Olympics is a totally different challenge," said Shiffrin, who won slalom gold in 2014 and GS gold four years later, but didn't finish any of her individual events in 2022.
"I've had great Olympics, I've had tough Olympics, I try to go in with an open mind, good spirit, trusting my team," she added. "We're coming in with strong athletes, so it's time to enjoy that."
This weekend's races took place at the Czech venue of Shiffrin's World Cup debut at age 15 in March 2011.
"It just feels amazing to be here. I feel like when I was 15 years old still, like, I don't know, just love skiing. I just love skiing. That's the best feeling to be here," Shiffrin said.
Clinching the slalom globe and setting yet another record was not on her mind during the race, the American said.
"It's actually hard to think about that today because there was so much to think about on the race course," Shiffrin said. "So now it's like a nice surprise."
Canada’s newly named ski jumping team has high hopes heading into the Milano-Cortina Winter Games — and that has a lot to do with Abi Strate.
Keep this in mind about the Enhanced Games, the multi-sport event in which doping is somewhere between allowed and encouraged, and which debuts in Las Vegas in May:
The Ottawa Charge and the PWHL expansion Vancouver Goldeneyes shook up their rosters by completing a six-player trade on Sunday night.
Without a moment’s hesitation, unflinching really, legendary swimming coach Bob Bowman jumped to his answer when asked if the many comparisons made between the greatest swimmer ever — Michael Phelps — and Canadian swimming sensation Summer McIntosh were warranted and fair.
Canada scored three times in the first 5:12 of the game and then coasted to an 8-1 win over the Czech Republic in the under-18 women's world hockey championship semifinals on Saturday in Sydney, N.S.
Snowboard cross racer Éliot Grondin climbed the podium of a World Cup event on Saturday in Dongbeiya, China.
Mark McMorris and Laurie Blouin are among the six athletes that have been named to Canada's Olympic snowboard slopestyle and big air team.
Aside from having unwavering determination, athletic talent and superhuman health, to become an Olympian requires devoting virtually all of one's time to pursuing sport.
Isabelle Weidemann is determined to repeat as Olympic champion with fellow Canadian speed skaters Ivanie Blondin and Valérie Maltais in women’s team pursuit, but the long track veteran isn't simply seeking a medal from the experience in Milan Cortina.
Canada's skeleton team have been cleared of wrongdoing after an investigation into the withdrawal of four athletes from last week's North American Cup in Lake Placid, the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) said on Thursday.
Jesse Marsch, the head coach of Canada’s men’s soccer team, wants to extend his contract before the start of the World Cup in June.
The Winter Olympics and Paralympics have, for decades, been a celebration of snow, cold and mountains — a global showcase for sports built on reliable winter conditions.
Mikaela Shiffrin is dominating in slalom. Lindsey Vonn is doing the same in downhill at age 41.