Alpine skiing: Liensberger loses first win

The American was still in the lead after the first round, but fell back in the decision to third place (+0.57) and thus missed the chance for her first slalom win in a year. After five successes in a row, Petra Vlhova finished in fourth place, 1.36 seconds behind. For the first time after 28 slaloms, the winner is neither Shiffrin nor Vlhova.

The second best Austrian in Semmering was Katharina Truppe. The 24-year-old Carinthian fell from fourth to sixth place (1.56) in the second round, but was back in the top seven in the third slalom of the season. Katharina Huber improved ten places and came tenth (3.14). Chiara Mair finished in twelfth place (3.26), Katharina Gallhuber finished in 26th place (5.04) after a second failed race. Franziska Gritsch was eliminated in the third goal decision.

Second place as a victory felt

For Liensberger, the first World Cup victory was within reach. The Vorarlberg driver, who was third after the first race, had a sensational second race under the floodlights and it took 1.25 seconds from Vlhova, who was leading at the time. In the end, the faster runtime wasn’t enough for the top.

“It is not a first place, but it feels like one. I’m so happy. The president (Peter Schröcksnadel, note) told me at halftime that I should drive with my heart, I did it and it felt good. It wasn’t just for the tracks, you had to push yourself to the limit, Gisin did a great job too. There were a lot of great performances, I’m super happy, ”Liensberger said in an interview with ORF.

For the Vorarlberg woman, after two third places in Levi, it was already the third podium this season in slalom. In Semmering, however, one more step. “I’m getting closer step by step, the development continues,” Liensberger said happily about his first second place in the World Cup.

“A perfect day” for Gisin

Gisin, on the other hand, wrote a piece of Swiss ski history with his first World Cup win. So far, the last Swiss slalom winner at the World Cup was Marlies Öster, who won on January 20, 2002 in Berchtesgaden. Gisin, who was 0.30 seconds ahead of Liensberger after the first heat, was just behind the Austrian in the second interval, turning the gap at the bottom into an advantage.

“It’s amazing and a perfect day, there’s really nothing more to say about it. I don’t know what is happening to me, “said the 27-year-old, happy for her triumph in the” Magic Mountain. ” The fact that she claimed the Swiss’s first slalom victory in 18 years rounded out the day for Gisin. “It’s good that Wendy (Holdener, keep in mind) and I are no longer asking us about it,” the newly crowned Semmering winner said of the bonus.

Shiffrin has to wait

For Shiffrin, however, everything was set for her third Semmering Slalom victory after 2016 and 2018. However, after the first round, the American was only 0.02 seconds ahead of Gisin. The wafer-thin lead disappeared in the first division and became a gap of more than half a second when we reached the finish line.

“I am super happy for Michelle. Of course, I also wanted to win and accelerate, but sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. But I’m also happy when I see Michelle driving like this, she deserves it, Katharina too, ”said Shiffrin, who has to look forward to her first slalom victory since January 29, 2019 in Lienz.

Best result of the season for the troops

Even without the injured Bernadette Schild, the ÖSV women reached the final with six riders. Despite falling back to sixth place, the troops were satisfied, as they had contested the race with their “number one fear”. “That went so bad at the premiere a year ago at Lienz (18th rank, note). That’s why I slept badly this time and was very nervous, ”said the relieved Carinthian of her best result of the season. “However, I still drive a bit on the handbrake.”