Petra Vlhová Mikaela Shiffrin: There is a thrilling battle for the big globe! – Športky.sk

BRATISLAVA – Slovak skier Petra Vlhová and her team have been repeating since the opening races of the season in Sölden, Austria, that the main priority is the Winter Olympics and that she does not think about a large crystal globe. He won’t start dealing with it until the peak of the year in Beijing and only if he’s still in the game. Today is sure to be.

Our best sportswoman took second place in Tuesday’s huge slalom of the World Cup. In Kronplatz, Italy, it was surpassed only by the sovereign Swede Sara Hector by 15 hundred seconds.

In the event of a victory, as the defender of the big globe, she would be at the top of the overall standings of the World Championships ahead of Mikael Shiffrin, who took fifth place. Thus, he lags behind the American rival by seventeen points.

Before the start of the games in the Chinese capital, only a weekend is on the agenda in the German resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where the downhill and super-G take place. Petra Vlhová will definitely miss both disciplines and it is more than likely that we will not see Shiffrin on the famous Kandahar ski slope.

High season

There are only a few days left until the start of the Winter Olympics. The women’s downhill races are held from January 7 to 19 at the China National Downhill Skiing Center in Beijing’s Yingqing District.

There will be a huge slalom on Monday, February 7, the most spinning discipline is on the agenda two days later. Vlhová should also complete the alpine combination and super-G. The start in the downhill is still questionable.

Women’s program at the Beijing Olympics 2022:

Vlhova still lacks the Olympic medal in her rich collection of achievements, which is her biggest goal of the current season. Slovakia has a real chance of three precious metals, the main favorites will be slalom, giant slalom and alpine combination.

Her biggest rival already has three Olympic medals, two of which are gold. Eight years ago, she won the slalom at the Roza Khutor Center in Red Pole in Sochi, Russia, won the next Olympics in Pyongyang in a ceremony, and silver was combined.

Battle for the big globe

Fans of downhill skiing and, above all, Petra Vlhová’s amazing rivalry with Mikaela Shiffrinová can no longer wait for the fights under the five circles, but it is already certain today that the fight for the big crystal globe will also be captivating.

In total, we have 25 of 37 events behind us. After the Olympics, we will only have races in Crans Montana (two runs), Lenzerheide (super-G and giant slalom), Are (giant slalom and slalom) and the World Cup finals in Courchevel, France, where all disciplines will take place.

If we do not count the upcoming weekend in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, then there are still 1000 points in the game. It is clearer than the sun that only two ladies will share the overall championship and the rest of the ski peloton will fight “only” for third place and participation on the ceremonial stage during the final week in Courchevel.

Shiffrinová and Vlhová have already crossed the famous limit of 1000 points, the Slovak woman also has a small crystal globe behind the slalom in her hand, which she secured well in advance after the memorial dinner in Schladming.

Overall World Cup standings (after 25 of 37 competitions)

While the native of Liptov focused mainly on slalom and obrák, the American also started in sliding disciplines and overall she has three starts more than Vlhová. At the end of December, however, she was stopped by a positive coronavirus test, which left her missing a huge slalom and slalom in Lienz, Austria.

The third place in the overall standings of the World Championships is held by the Italian Sofia Goggio, but after the unsuccessful January races and unpleasant falls, it is questionable whether she can still speak into the fight for the big globe. Her start at the Beijing Olympics is also uncertain.

The holiday of sports in the most populous country in the world is just around the corner. After its end, a thrilling battle for the most valuable trophy in alpine skiing can be unleashed. Who knows, maybe he will decide in the last huge slalom, which is on the program on March 20.

• The author: © List / Patrik Seman
• Source: Sportswear