Huge drama as Brignone grabs first World gold while Shiffrin falters at finale

Federica Brignone, nicknamed La Tigre, roared her way to a brilliant, first ever major event title, with Alpine combined gold on the opening day of the 2023 FIS Alpine Ski World Championship in Corchevel Meribel.

But while the 32-year-old Italian became her nation’s first ever women’s Combined world champion, just as much drama came from behind.

Defending champion and heavy favourite Mikaela Shiffrin had looked on course to deny Brignone’s maiden success but then, three gates from home, after a scintillating slalom ski had seen the American claw back the 0.96 second advantage the Italian had built up in the morning’s super-G, Shiffrin faltered.

A loss of line and a straddled gate was enough to create an audible gasp from the thousands of fans in the finish area.

Instead of a seventh world success for Shiffrin, it was a first for Brignone, with 2017 and 2019 Alpine combined world champion Wendy Holdener taking silver while Austria’s Ricarda Haaser nipped in for an unexpected bronze.

“Mikaela told me that I put pressure on her with my super-G,” Brignone said, after finishing in a combined time of 1:57.47.

“I did really two good runs, super-G and slalom. What was missing in my career was a gold medal and I am so, so excited and happy about today.”

The 2022 Olympic Alpine combined bronze medallist had produced a typically aggressive super-G, skiing, as she put it, “on the edge” to take a big lead into the slalom. But all the pressure was still on the Italian’s shoulders. Not only had she only skied slalom once on the World Cup tour this season, she also had to deal with demons of her own.

“Two years ago in Cortina I was first after super-G and then I just did three gates,” Brignone said, referencing the start of her disastrous campaign at her home World Championships in Cortina D’Ampezzo.

“I am really proud of how I concentrated and how my attitude was today in both runs, that was the most important (thing).”

Gold completes the set for a skier who won world championship giant slalom silver way back in 2011.

For serial world and Olympic medal winner Holdener, silver was a big bonus after a cautious super-G run had left her 1.66 seconds behind the flying Italian.

“It couldn’t be better. I had no idea what had happened in the slalom for the first racers. I knew I had to give everything and I wasn’t sure if it was enough,” the Swiss star said. “To be in the finish and see the second place, it was unbelievable.”

Haaser knows just how she feels. The 29-year-old Austrian has raced 149 times on the World Cup circuit, plus six times in world championships and Olympic Games without ever making the podium before.

But with double Olympic combined champion Michelle Gisin among those to join Shiffrin in failing to trouble the leaderboard, the way was open for the quietly spoken Austrian.

“I just wanted to have fun and put down two consistently fast runs. I had a really good run in super-G with just a little mistake,” said Haaser, who lay eighth after the super-G. “And a solid run in the slalom. It was really special.”

For Shiffrin the shock error will naturally draw comparisons with her Beijing 2022 Olympic Games campaign, when she failed to finish three of her events. But for the skier herself, there were far more simple explanations.

“The surface changed a little bit on those last gates. On inspection I saw it was a bit more unstable on the snow and I had to be still strong with my position and the course it doesn’t go straight to the finish, it keeps turning. I tried to be aware of that but I also knew that if I had a chance to make up nine-tenths (of a second) on Federica (Brignone) – or more than that – I had to push like crazy. So, I did and I had a very good run,” she explained.

“I am really happy with my skiing. It’s just at the end, letting it go a little bit too much too soon and then you don’t make it. It’s such short distance between the gates and you can’t make an error like that. Of course, I know that and I did it any way. I am happy with the run.”

She and the rest of the women’s speed skiers will have their next shot at world championship glory on Wednesday 8 February with the super-G starting at 11:30 local time.