Killington technical races this weekend were supposed to celebrate the local queen, Mikaela Shiffrin. But the pressure was obviously too much, even for such an excellent and experienced skier as Mikaela. The first part of the American leg of the World Cup tour proved to be a celebration indeed but for a completely different lady. The young Swiss star, Camille Rast, had achieved her first World Cup win, and as she has been steadily collecting points so far this season, she earned the red bib for the overall tour leader.
But, let us return to the windy weekend in the North American mountains.
Giant Slalom in Killington: Sara Hector Invincible and the Scary Crash of the Queen
As of Monday, December 2nd, we eagerly await further information on Mikaela Shiffrin’s health after the crash. Let us rewind to the beginning of this story.
On Saturday morning, the weather was cold, windy, and snowy. The sun shone through the falling snowflakes, making visibility confusing. Mikaela Shiffrin set the time as the first skier and ended with a reasonable headstart. But Sara Hector followed with a 0.32-second gap. The race was far from over.
During the second leg, visibility changed rapidly. Clouds settled over the course, and the track was hidden in the shade, although the snowing stopped.
The second round featured a parade of American skiers. Two of them, Nina O’Brien and Paula Moltzan, were comfortably seated, ranking number one and two, when Zrinka Ljutic (CRO) toppled them with a perfect run.
When Camille Rast left the start gate, the statistics announced that she went down to chase her first GS World Cup podium. She finished second with two to go. Then, it was Sara Hector’s (SWE) turn to demolish the competition with her typical strong and aggressive style. She certainly put considerable pressure on Shiffrin, which proved fatal.
Shiffrin was made to give it all and obviously crossed a line and crashed hard, ending in the safety net. The event overshadowed the poor winner and two ladies celebrating their success as the crowds eagerly watched their hero being transported to the hospital.
Later in the evening, Shiffrin announced that she got stabbed by some object and had some bruises, but otherwise seemed to be ok. But chasing the record was out of the question for the moment.
Slalom: New Queen is Crowned
Without Mikaela Shiffrin, the Sunday race was wide open. And it proved to be a sensation for the Swiss racers. In the first run, Wendy Holdener (SUI) proved once more that she is back after her devastating injury, hungrier for victory than ever. But Anna Swen-Larsson got in the red chair for the leader, followed very closely by Camille Rast (SUI) until Lena Dürr came faster and became the leader until the end of the first run.
The second run featured a spectacular run for Wendy Holdener, who significantly improved her position after the first run. Then Camille Rast skied as a pro and got in the red chair. At that moment, it was one, two, and three for Switzerland, as the third spot was occupied by Melanie Millard, who also seemed to be having a season of her life.
That is how it ended because Anna Swen-Larsson finished second, only to tie with Holdener for the second spot. This time, the leader, Lena Dürr, did not defend her leadership and finished fourth.
Thus, as we count all points, Camille Rast, who emerged this year like a shooting star, ends the weekend celebrating her very first World Cup victory and becomes the new leader of the tour slalom standings and the overall standings. Well, what a season she is having.
