Shiffrin Concedes Ski World Cup Title Ahead Of Comeback, Talks Of Kilde’s ‘Life And Death’ Injury – News18

Mikaela Shiffrin is now not difficult for a ladies’s file-tying sixth World Cup total title this month, and on Friday praised standings chief Lara Gut-Behrami for her “stunning” snowboarding.

Shiffrin set out her restricted race plans for the remainder of the season in an internet name from Sweden, the place she additionally spoke of being out injured similtaneously her boyfriend, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.

Both crashed exhausting in downhill races in January and Shiffrin revealed the deep laceration Kilde suffered in his calf was “a life or death situation.”

Shiffrin returns to racing on Sunday, in a slalom at Are, six weeks after being airlifted from the course with knee and leg accidents at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

Then, the 5-time total World Cup champion held a 340-level lead within the standings over Gut-Behrami. She now trails by virtually 400.

With simply six races now left — and a most 600 factors to win — Shiffrin stated she is going to begin not more than three and can’t shut the hole from third place. Federica Brignone, the 2020 champion, is Gut-Behrami’s solely rival for the title.

“I would love to fight for the overall (title) but I also just need to admit where I am this season,” the American star informed reporters.

Shiffrin will skip the enormous slalom on Saturday and the 2 velocity occasions — downhill and tremendous-G — on the season-ending races on March 22-23 at Saalbach, Austria.

That leaves her two slalom races — at Are and Saalbach on March 16 — to possible seal her eighth profession title within the seasonlong self-discipline standings. The March 17 large slalom in Saalbach is also an choice.

“I can only do what I can do,” Shiffrin stated, acknowledging it took her till the previous week to achieve “race intensity” in coaching only for slalom.

During Shiffrin’s restoration, Gut-Behrami surged to win 5 races and appears set to win her second profession total title. The Swiss star’s first was in 2016, one yr earlier than Shiffrin started her period of dominance.

“She’s been stunning this season, so consistent, so strong,” Shiffrin stated of Gut-Behrami’s profession yr at age 32.

“I’m also just a fan of the sport,” stated Shiffrin, who turns 29 on Wednesday. “I love watching Lara ski. This year I feel like Lara has really pushed the level.”

Shiffrin and Kilde had been rehabilitating in Austria and capable of share “quite a few dinners together,” she stated.

Kilde’s accidents had been far more extreme and his dislocated shoulder “was literally blown apart,” Shiffrin stated. “He’s progressing really well now, starting to walk a bit. It’s a long road.”

She traveled from Austria to Switzerland to be with Kilde in hospital on Jan. 13 after his crash at Wengen.

“It was a life or death situation for a good eight hours with that kind of cut,” Shiffrin stated. “For me, the emotion never really hit in the immediate (moment) watching him on TV.

“It was like, ‘How can I get to him? What can I do to help?’ His family couldn’t arrive until the next day,” she stated of her Norwegian accomplice, who was the boys’s World Cup total champion in 2020.

“We’ve sort of grown together through the last few years of our careers.”

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AP snowboarding: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)