鈥淪imply the Best.鈥� The chorus that played in the finish area of Sunday鈥檚 World Cup giant slalom said it all, as Mikaela Shiffrin clinched her 82nd World Cup victory, tying the record set by American Lindsey Vonn. After her 6th place finish on Saturday, Shiffrin said she鈥檇 need patience to match the record that she started building ten years ago. She had to wait one day.

Shiffrin started the race with bib 1, and never relinquished her lead, winning both runs and taking the victory over Italy鈥檚 Federica Brignone by .77 seconds. Switzerland鈥檚 Lara Gut-Behrami finished 3rd. The ever-composed Shiffrin let out a scream as she crossed the line, then leaned over and put her head in her hands to take in the moment.

鈥淚 was so nervous this run,鈥� Shiffrin said immediately afterwards. 鈥淚 have a rash on my face I was so nervous. I don鈥檛 know why, maybe a little bit was because of 82. I just really wanted to ski well, and I did.鈥�

The day started with an even faster course than Saturday鈥檚 screamers. Shiffrin鈥檚 winning time was a full two seconds faster than the winning pace a day earlier. Only Italy鈥檚 Brignone, and Saturday鈥檚 surprise winner, Valerie Grenier of Canada, were within a half-second of Shiffrin.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 ski faster,鈥� Shiffrin said after the run.聽 鈥淚 felt much, much better this first run than yesterday. I had to try to change my feeling from yesterday. It was very good skiing and I鈥檓 happy with that.鈥�

Conditions on Kranska Gora鈥檚 Podkoren slope appeared to deteriorate more in the warm temperatures Sunday, making for a bumpier ride down the hill that gets no direct sunlight.聽 That, combined with a turn-heavy set on the second run course, created especially tough conditions for the top skiers, who ran in reverse order. Several of the women near the top of the order shuffled positions, with Gut-Behrami and Slovakia鈥檚 Petra Vlhova finding a way to smooth out the course and gain ground.

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Then came Brignone, in attack mode and taking every risk鈥攁nd the lead. Shiffrin, as she has been in so many races this year, seemed unstoppable, her skis glued to the snow but also finding the fall-line more than on Saturday, and her lead never in doubt. When she came through the finish, winning the race and the run, she not only tied the record but also asserted that the best is yet to come.

鈥淚t was a fight. But it was pretty amazing conditions and I got a report from the coaches and they were like, 鈥業t鈥檚 really attackable, so just go for it,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been in this position before and I鈥檝e given it away and today I wanted to fight for it.鈥� Afterwards, Shiffrin noted that her run was among the best she鈥檚 ever skied. 鈥淚 just felt so good with my skiing and that鈥檚 the most special thing.鈥�

On the podium, and afterwards in interviews, Shiffrin let the tears flow, noting that it was her father, Jeff, who, before she won her first World Cup, instructed her to memorize the words of the national anthem. 鈥淗e said, 鈥業f you ever win, you鈥檇 better sing it,鈥� so I always think of him when I鈥檓 up there.鈥� On this day, she reflected on her father, who passed away tragically in 2020. 鈥淢ost races these days I鈥檒l think of him and be able to refocus and that鈥檚 been a big improvement for me since last season.鈥�

Shiffin also noted how exciting it is to be part of the broader success of American skiers, who, despite the challenge of spreading limited resources across such a huge country, manage to find success in this European-dominated sport. 鈥淲hen I look around now at my teammates鈥擯aula, Nina, all of these women鈥攊t makes me realize when you do focus that energy in the right way, actually how many of us can be on the top and it makes the future for me even more exciting than anything our team has accomplished in the past,鈥� she said.聽

It was indeed a good day for North Americans, with five making the second run behind Shiffrin. They were led by Saturday鈥檚 unexpected victor, Canada鈥檚 Grenier in 6th. Paula Moltzan bumped up her game and smoothed out the course, finishing 8th. Teammate Nina O鈥橞rien continued her comeback from injury, scoring points in 25th, just behind Canadian Britt Richardson in 24th.

As for the numbers, despite the patience it took, Shiffrin achieved this record with blazing speed. It took Vonn 13 years and 13 major injuries over 395 races. As Vonn told commentator Steve Porino, 鈥淚 literally bled for that record.鈥� Shiffrin, who has had no major injuries, got here in ten years and 233 races.

Vonn had nothing but respect and encouragement for Shiffrin, telling the AP: 鈥淚鈥檓 really happy for Mikaela. Records are meant to be broken and it鈥檚 a sign of progress. And if anyone is to break my record, I鈥檓 really happy that it鈥檚 an American. She鈥檚 going to continue pushing the limits and continue to inspire other Americans. There were a lot of women who paved the way for me. And now it鈥檚 her turn to pave the way for the next generation.鈥�

At age 27, and with eight victories in this season alone so far, it appears Shiffrin has much more in the tank. Her 17 GS victories are second only to Vreni Schneider鈥檚 20. Next up to slay is the all-time record of 86 wins by Ingemar Stenmark, though Shiffrin is mindful of keeping the hunt for records from getting in the way of her goals.

鈥�If I get there, I hope that I can keep it in my own head in a way that it鈥檚 not a relief to get to 86 because it would be such a shame to feel relieved about 86 victories,鈥� she admitted. 鈥淚 should just celebrate whatever comes for the next races and for the rest of my career because I don鈥檛 want to ruin it with chasing some record that probably shouldn鈥檛 be broken.鈥�

Sunday鈥檚 win extended Shiffrin鈥檚 lead in the World Cup standings. With 1,115 points she now leads Vlhova by 419 points, and trails GS leader Marta Bassino by only 25 points.

Shiffrin returns to competition on Tuesday in Flachau, where she has notched four wins.

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鈥淭hank you Levi!鈥� Mikaela Shiffrin鈥檚 words from atop the podium in Finland summed up what was a spectacular weekend for the American skier. in as many days, kicking off her 2022-23 campaign with a perfect score of 200 series points.

Shiffrin鈥檚 49th slalom victory breaks her own record for wins in a single event, and brings her total World Cup victory tally to 76 (just six shy of Lindsey Vonn鈥檚 82 and ten short of Ingemar Stenmark鈥檚 all-time record of 86). For as much as it could in the four-ish hours of Lappland daylight, the sun shone on Shiffrin who won both runs of the day in a tightly contested race. Switzerland鈥檚 Wendy Holdener unleashed a gutsy second run that moved her from fourth place up to second place, just .28 seconds behind Shiffrin. As she did on Saturday, Slovakia鈥檚 landed on the podium, in third.

鈥淭wo races in a row like this is a really big effort,鈥� said Shiffrin, 鈥渟o I am just really happy.鈥�

While the weekend sweep is an ideal way to start the season, Shiffrin acknowledged that the moments of success, while special, were also fleeting. 鈥淓ven after 12 years [on the World Cup], I鈥檝e realized I am never going to feel like 鈥業 am there鈥�. Now I am ok with that,鈥� she said.

The double victory marks a return to dominance for Shiffrin after her disappointing campaign at the 2022 Winter Olympics, where she left without earning a medal in the five events she entered. Shiffrin, the most dominant slalom skier ever, about the pressure she felt during the Games鈥攕he came into the Olympics after enduring a season altered by injuries. Her setback continued the ongoing discussion about at the Olympics.

Shiffrin showed her resilience after the Olympics by winning a World Cup Downhill in march and securing the series overall title in slalom. Still, her dominance in Levi marks her first double victory since the Games.

The strong start also shifts the balance of power in the ongoing slalom rivalry between Shiffrin and Vlhova. The two, both 27, have dominated the event in recent years, despite following very different pathways to the top. Shiffrin鈥檚 first victory came in December 2012, at age 16. She won the World Cup Slalom title that season and Olympic slalom gold the following season in Sochi 2014. Vlhova, by contrast, won her first World Cup in 2015. By 2019 she was second to Shiffrin in the overall slalom standings. She took the slalom title in 2020 and the World Cup overall title in 2021. Then, at the 2022 Olympics, while , Vlhova finally scored Olympic gold.

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In Levi, success brings a skier a prized reindeer, the award since 2013 to each race鈥檚 victor. To put the pair鈥檚 dominance in perspective, only one woman other than Shiffrin or Vlhova鈥擳ina Maze in 2014鈥攈as won a reindeer. Heading into the weekend, Vlhova had five, and Shiffrin four. After today, Shiffrin now has a herd of six.

Going into today鈥檚 second run, Shiffrin held a slim .07-second lead over Germany鈥檚 Lena Duerr, but admitted that if she was going to bet on anyone on the second run, including herself, it would have been the steely-nerved Vlhova. It was Holdener鈥檚 second run, however, that seemed untouchable. It was, by everyone except Shiffrin. 鈥淚 just tried to push really hard. I was actually really surprised,鈥� said Shiffrin. 鈥淪he鈥檚 so strong,鈥� said Shiffrin of Holdener. 鈥淚 love to race with her. She鈥檚 pushed my limit.鈥�

Holdener, who is still in search of her first slalom victory, claimed her 15th runner-up position in the event.

Three more of the seven Americans at the start鈥�, Ava Sunshine and Katie Hensien鈥攍anded in the top 30 to qualify for a second run.

It turned out to be another day of heartbreak for Moltzan, who straddled on her first run yesterday. Moltzan finished 12th on the first run and was leading by more than .7 seconds on the second run when she caught a gate and fell hard.

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The second run saw the young Americans come out strong but encounter trouble on the swingy turns of the lower steep. Ultimately, they skied to finish to score World Cup points awarded to the top 30. For Hensien, in her 18th World Cup slalom start, it was her third time in the points. For Sunshine, it was her second time in the points in as many tries. The two finished 26th and 27th respectively.

Sunshine, 20, once again qualified for the second run, this time in 23rd place. Katie Hensien started with bib 58 and completed the first run in 29th position.

Sunshine鈥檚 performances earned another start spot for American women in the slalom that the team will be able to use in the upcoming slalom at Killington.

The women鈥檚 World Cup resumes next weekend on home turf in Killington, Vermont., with a Giant Slalom on Saturday, Nov. 26 and slalom on Sunday, Nov. 27. .

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Tune in to SKI鈥檚听聽to stay up to date on all the stories and latest news from Beijing.

Speed skiers, the racers who compete in the downhill and super-G events, are a different breed. Routinely throwing oneself down icy, bumpy tracks at speeds in excess of 80 mph, where the slightest mistake or misjudgment can mean disaster, may sound a little crazy. But to be successful in these most dangerous of the alpine events takes more than just sheer guts.

Conventional wisdom says it takes years to gain the experience needed to rise to the top of the pile in the downhill circuit. 鈥淚 feel like that鈥檚 a bit of a myth,鈥� says four-time Olympian Marco Sullivan, who cites many athletes, including himself, who have had their best results their first time on a course. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e really confident, and the hill suits you, and you鈥檙e ready to take that aggressive mindset, you can do it.鈥�

Neither rookies nor seasoned vets will have seen the 2022 Olympic speed courses at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre before arriving in Beijing. Two-time Olympian Laurenne Ross points out, however, that veterans may still have an edge at adjusting to this brand-new hill鈥檚 particular challenges. 鈥淭hey have so much experience in so many different conditions that they are better at adapting,鈥� Ross says.

Experience or not, here are just a few things the athletes will be looking to dial in by race day to give themselves an edge over their competitors.

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Course Inspection

This is when racers slide down the course and pick their line, assessing both the course set and the terrain. As Daron Rahlves explains in the podcast American Downhiller, 鈥淚n downhill, you are skiing the mountain, not the course.鈥� With no previous experience to gauge the mountain鈥檚 terrain and no natural features鈥攍ike trees whizzing by鈥攖o gauge speed, it was not surprising that many top athletes, including four of the top five finishers, missed gates in the first downhill training run on February 3.

Inspection is especially critical in super-G, where the speeds are nearly as high, the corners are sharper and often blind, and there are no training runs before the race. Unlike in downhill, nobody knows how a super-G course will run until the first racer goes. It is not unusual to see early racers come over terrain and completely miss a gate because they misjudged their speed or line.

Line Choice

Training runs are where athletes experiment with line, figuring out where on the course they can open the throttle and where they need to take a more conservative approach. As Sullivan points out, the most important turns in any course are the ones that bring your momentum off the steeps. 鈥淭hat transition from steep to flat is the most important part of any course. Those are the turns you really have to focus on.鈥�

By race day, when the big air and tough turns have been identified, most athletes will be on a similar line through the course. Some racers, if they feel comfortable enough on the course, will 鈥減ush the line鈥� on race day, taking a riskier, more direct path to gain extra speed. When that works, it shaves time. When it doesn鈥檛, it can mean a missed gate鈥攐r worse, a crash.

Gliding and Aerodynamics

鈥淕ood gliders鈥� are racers who are able to let their skis 鈥渟wim鈥� on the flats, using a minimal amount of edge pressure to turn, thereby creating the least friction. The Beijing course features flat sections at the top and bottom where racers can 鈥済rab the bully鈥� and drop into a low, bullet-like tuck. To find their ideal tucks, athletes spend time in wind tunnels to tweak their various tuck positions and find a position with the least amount of drag.

Even more important than an ideal low tuck, however, is staying as aerodynamic as possible while coming out of the tuck to make turns and absorb bumps. At downhill speeds, any body part that comes out of line will act like a sail, creating drag and affecting balance. The fastest racers are those who can execute clean turns while staying as compact as possible on the ground and in the air.

Air Time

It鈥檚 always faster to be on the ground than in the air, so athletes who absorb terrain have an advantage. At this year鈥檚 men鈥檚 World Cup downhill in Val Gardena, for instance, used his long limbs to absorb the many big bumps on the track to keep his skis on the ground. Big air, however, also indicates big speed, so it can be a good thing. The key to taking 鈥済ood air鈥� is keeping a compact body position, with hands down and close to the boots, and air flowing over the skis rather than under them.

 

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Athletes want to avoid the dreaded 鈥渟tarfish鈥� position, where the body fully opens up, catching air and throwing the skier off balance. Other common mistakes include taking off with the body鈥檚 weight too far back, causing the ski tips to go up and increase drag, or taking off with a 鈥渓oaded鈥� ski (one that is turning) rather than a flat ski. This move, seen by several athletes off the 鈥渟addle鈥� jump in Beijing, can lead to especially dangerous flights.

Skis

No matter how good an athlete鈥檚 line, aerodynamics, and gliding ability, it takes fast skis to win in downhill and super-G. This is especially important on a course like the one in Beijing, which has long gliding sections on extremely cold, dry, entirely man-made snow. In ski parlance, such snow is called 鈥渁ggressive,鈥� and it grabs at the skis rather than letting them slide.

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How fast a ski glides in certain conditions depends on the base material, the machine grind put into the base at the factory, and the wax applied to the ski, both on race day and over time. Here again, this untested venue presents challenges for the ski techs, all of whom are scrambling to find the magic combination of base material, grind, and wax for their athletes, with no historical data. They will choose from a quiver of skis that are their best guess based on the limited information they have. 鈥淚 think the ski choice will be a big deal,鈥� Sullivan says. 鈥淎 ski that runs well in Lake Louise could do well in Beijing.鈥�

Tweaks and Tuning

The snow also presents another challenge鈥攁nd possibly an advantage for the Americans. This type of aggressive snow鈥攚hich is far more similar to early season man-made Colorado snow than it is to warmer, wetter European snow鈥攃an be tricky for athletes, often requiring adjustments to their technique and equipment.

鈥淚t鈥檚 more difficult when the snow is really aggressive to nail the equipment,鈥� Ross explains. 鈥淵ou start getting catchy, and your skis hook up really fast. It can be sketchy.鈥� This often requires athletes to tweak their boots, bindings, and skis to achieve a comfortable balance of precision and forgiveness in their equipment. Ross points out that this might favor the Americans, who train on aggressive Colorado snow during the early season, as well as any athletes who are used to making those types of adjustments.

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The Luck of the Draw

On the Beijing course, where the sun is always out and the surface is uniformly bulletproof, changing conditions and any specific bib number will play less of a role than the gusty and unpredictable winds on all parts of the course. Those were already a factor in training runs鈥攖he third men鈥檚 training run was canceled due to high winds鈥攁nd likely will be on race day as well.

However, as challenging as it is for athletes and their teams to tackle an untested slope, Ross and Sullivan are positive about a brand-new venue, both for spectators and athletes. 鈥淚n my opinion, the course being raced sight unseen is kind of cool,鈥� Sullivan says. 鈥淚 feel like it really favors the skiers who are strong and skiing well at the moment, as well as the younger skiers, who don鈥檛 necessarily know their main strengths yet.鈥� Ross concurs that a new venue can be a positive thing, noting, 鈥淚t kind of levels out the playing field.鈥�

Regardless of experience, training run results, and predictions, the Olympics are wide open in the speed-skiing events. 鈥淚t鈥檚 anybody鈥檚 game,鈥� Ross says. 鈥淥nce you step into the start gate, you just have to give it everything you have, because it is the biggest race of your life.鈥�

The Beijing Olympics speed-skiing events kick off on February 5 at 10 p.m. EST. Americans Bryce Bennett, Ryan Cochran-Siegle, and Travis Ganong go for gold on NBC and its affiliate programs.

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