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Mikaela Shiffrin returns to the World Cup just in time for the World Championships.
Picture: Keystone
Mikaela Shiffrin is back. Shortly before the World Championships, she makes her comeback in the slalom in Courchevel, but loses over 2 seconds on the winning time and dampens expectations with a view to the title fights in Saalbach.
Two months after her crash in Killington, where Mikaela Shiffrin suffered cuts to her stomach, the US American is back in the World Cup on Thursday. Shiffrin put in two solid runs in the slalom in Courchevel, but lost over two seconds to the outstanding winner Zrinka.
Because the Croatian also distanced the rest of the competition by over a second or more, Shiffrin managed to finish in 10th place despite being a long way behind. "The race showed us what we still need to train in the time remaining until the World Championships," the 29-year-old sums up in the ORF interview. "The conditions were very challenging, but it was good to see how high the level of the competition is."
However, the returnee is tempering expectations shortly before the start of the World Championships next week. "I saw different intensities in my turns and a few mistakes - and it was pretty exhausting. I don't know if I'll manage to be 100 percent fit by the World Championships," says Shiffrin.
And so the US American also expresses doubts as to whether she will be able to compete together with Lindsey Vonn as a dream duo for the team combination on February 11 as planned. "I have to train for giant slalom and slalom. I don't know if it will work out with the team combination. We also have other good skiers, but if it works out, of course I'd love to race," emphasizes Shiffrin and jokes: "If Lindsey saw it today, I don't know if she'd want it now."
