The Swiss Michelle Gisin won the Semmering slalom, signing her first World Cup victory in the discipline. Mikaela Shiffrin was third and Petra Vlhova fourth.
She won the parallel team event with Switzerland in St. Moritz in 2016. But that obviously had nothing to do with it. This Tuesday, Michelle Gisin, a few days after celebrating her 27th birthday, signed her first individual victory in the World Cup, on the occasion of the slalom in Semmering, Austria. The Swiss, second in the first round two hundredths behind the great favorite Mikaela Shiffrin, managed a magnificent second round, to win in the end with 11 hundredths ahead of Katharina Liensberger who, at home, set the best time of the round, to reach the sixth podium of his career. Gisin is rewarded for her versatility, she who already has three podiums in slalom and five in speed events.
Too many mistakes for Shiffrin
In third place, we find Mikaela Shiffrin, who made several mistakes during the second heat, and who finished 57 hundredths behind Gisin. The American ensures the podium, but will not therefore have won the slightest victory in the slalom in this particular year 2020 (death of her father in February and the season shortened by the coronavirus pandemic). Behind Shiffrin, we find his great rival Petra Vlhova, who managed to move up two places compared to the first race. Note also the small feat of the Norwegian Maria Therese Tviberg, who started with the bib 54, and who finished 23rd in the first round and finally 8th in the race! Following this Semmering slalom, Petra Vlhova remains at the head of the World Cup in the discipline, ahead of Michelle Gisin and Katharina Liensberger (the first Frenchwoman, Nastasia Noens, is 39th). In the general classification, the Slovak is also in charge, ahead of Michelle Gisin and Mikaela Shiffrin (Tessa Worley 14th). Three skiers who should still be at the forefront on Sunday during the Zagreb slalom.
WORLD CUP (W) / SEMMERING SLALOM (AUSTRIA)
Final classification – Tuesday, December 29, 2020
1- Michelle Gisin (SUI) in 1’42 ″ 05
2- Katharina Liensberger (AUT) at 0 ″ 11
3- Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) at 0 ″ 57
4- Petra Vlhova (SLQ) at 1 ″ 36
5- Wendy Holdener (SUI) at 1 ″ 43
6- Katharina Truppe (AUT) at 1 ″ 56
7- Kristin Lysdahl (NOR) at 2 ″ 40
8- Maria Therese Tviberg (NOR) at 2 ″ 57
9- Nina O Brien (USA) at 3 ″ 06
10- Katharina Huber (AUT) at 3 ″ 14
