YANQING: Switzerland’s Lara Intestine-Behrami added Olympic super-G gold to her global identify on the Beijing Video games on Friday as a relieved Mikaela Shiffrin completed 9th after flunking her first two occasions. The 30-year-old Intestine-Behrami, who has already gained large slalom bronze at those Video games, timed 1min 13.51sec for victory and the primary Olympic gold medal of her profession. It was once additionally a first-ever super-G gold for Switzerland.
Austrian Mirjam Puchner took silver 0.22sec at the back of whilst some other Swiss, 2018 Olympic mixed gold medalist Michelle Gisin, claimed bronze. “I had no technique in any respect, I simply attempted to ski,” mentioned Intestine-Behrami, who completed fourth in super-G at two earlier Olympics. “I like super-G, I instructed myself it’s no longer a special path to rather a lot I’ve skied earlier than.
“It was once a good race and after completing fourth two times within the super-G, I used to be simply hoping it didn’t occur once more this time!” Shiffrin, a double gold medalist in earlier Video games, struggled between the primary two intermediaries and in the end got here racing in the course of the end line 0.79sec off winner Intestine-Behrami’s tempo. It was once the primary time the United States ski megastar had completed a race at those Video games after she produced two ordinary errors within the slalom and large slalom this week, snowboarding out early in each.
“There was once not anything unhappy about nowadays, it’s in reality cast snowboarding and the whole lot was once just about on level,” mentioned an upbeat Shiffrin, some of the largest names on the Video games. “It’s a in reality giant aid to be right here now within the end… that’s in reality great for my center to grasp that it’s no longer utterly forsaking the whole lot I do know in regards to the recreation.” Reigning super-G champion Ester Ledecka, the cross-code megastar who effectively defended her snowboard parallel large slalom identify on Tuesday, got here 5th, at the back of Austrian Tamara Tippler.
Snowboarding the ‘Rock’
Intestine-Behrami laid down a excellent best segment which noticed the racers boost up to 100 kilometres (60 miles) according to hour inside of 8 seconds and transfer directly right into a checking out collection of jumps swinging into blind gates. It was once the primary time the ladies had skilled the “Rock” piste as a result of two International Cup races at the hill had been cancelled over Covid restrictions in China.
And it confirmed as many struggled with the higher segment earlier than cascading into the canyon snaking down the remainder of the 1.9-kilometre path, man-made with synthetic snow in Yanqing. Ledecka turned into the primary girl to win a gold medal in two other sports activities at a Wintry weather Olympics when she took snowboarding and skiing titles in Pyeongchang 4 years in the past. After her snowboard good fortune in Beijing, the 26-year-old Czech was once aiming for an bold double-double but it surely proved an excessive amount of. “This morning I used to be seeking to persuade myself that I’m a skier! It’s no longer that simple,” mentioned Ledecka.
Ledecka mentioned Shiffrin, who gained super-G gold on the 2019 global championships, had had “no selection” however to get again on her skis after failing to complete both slalom race. “She’s some of the largest skiers of all time and it doesn’t in reality topic if she’s going to DNF (didn’t end) in two races, it doesn’t trade anything else for me,” she mentioned. Italy’s reigning Olympic downhill champion Sofia Goggia sat out the race after failing to recuperate from a knee harm she sustained in a crash in Cortina ultimate month. —AFP