American star Mikaela Shiffrin returns to competition after a week’s break at the Alpine Skiing World Cup in Kvitfjell (Norway) from Friday to Sunday, where she can aim for records and trophies.
Shiffrin remains on successful World Championships in Méribel completed on February 18 with three medals including a title (gold in giant, silver in super-G and slalom), enough to complete his incredible collection of 14 podiums at the Worlds.
Last week, she had decided to skip the Swiss stage of Crans-Montana where only one race finally took place due to weather conditions.
The American returns for Kvitfjell, a 100% speed stage (two super-Gs on Friday and Sunday, a descent on Saturday), with disciplines where she triumphs a little less often than in technique (giant, slalom).
If the planets align, the best skier in the world could however achieve a strike record+trophy.
With 85 victories on the world circuit, he lacks only one success to equal the emblematic record of Swede Ingemar Stenmark, after having exceeded earlier in the winter the mark of his compatriot Lindsey Vonn (82).
Ten days before she turns 28, she could also be sure of winning her fifth big crystal globe at the end of the three Norwegian races.
Thanks to her crazy season (11 wins in 23 starts), Shiffrin now has a lead of 722 points in the general classification over the Slovak Petra Vlhova, absent at Kvitfjell, and 771 over the Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami, specialist in the events of speed.
While there will remain six races on the calendar after this stage, a lead of more than 600 points on Sunday evening would prematurely offer him a new title.
And even if Shiffrin does not achieve his goals this week, the next stage suits him even better: a giant and a slalom, his two favorite disciplines, in Are (Sweden), in the country of Stenmark.
In Kvitfjell, the Italian Sofia Goggia has the opportunity to secure a fourth small downhill globe. A twelfth place is enough for him to take the trophy.
The French team presents itself with Laura Gauché, strong from the first podium of her career conquered in Crans-Montana (3rd in the descent), but lost Romane Miradoli, injured in the left knee during the first training session on Wednesday.
Kvitfjell Women’s World Cup schedule:
Friday, March 3: super-G at 10:30 a.m.
Saturday March 4: descent at 11:00 a.m.
Sunday March 5: super-G at 10:30 a.m.
