Vickhoff Lie makes history as Shiffrin and Goggia seal season titles

Kajsa Vickhoff Lie sent the hordes of fans in Kvitfjell wild as, thanks to a brilliantly aggressive display on home snow, she became the first Norwegian woman to ever win a World Cup downhill.

But the history making 24-year-old did have to share the record-setting limelight with two of the greatest of all time, with first Mikaela Shiffrin rubber-stamping her fifth Overall World Cup title, and then speed queen Sofia Goggia claiming her third successive women’s downhill crown.

This is the kind of illustrious company Vickhoff Lie is getting used to after recovering from a horror injury two years ago to start to show her undoubted talent this season.

Last month the Norwegian won her first major medal, taking a surprise World Championship bronze in the super-G in Courchevel Meribel and now she has done something none of her female compatriots have managed in the history of the sport.

“It’s amazing, it’s indescribable but also it’s extremely describable. It’s just the best feeling ever,” said Vickhoff Lie whose run was good enough to push the great Goggia into second, with reigning Olympic downhill champion Corinne Suter relegated to third.

Ilka Stuhec took fourth in another encouraging display for the former double downhill world champion, while Shiffrin was equal fifth with Ramona Siebenhoffer – more than enough to secure yet another Big Crystal Globe for the American superstar.

Vickhoff Lie, who spent 644 days off the snow after that crash in Italy, admitted she and Ragnhild Mowinckel, the two-time Olympic medallist, have been having a “silent battle” to become the first Norwegian women’s World Cup downhill champion.

“I actually did it. I have no words for that,” said the winner who could not have delivered her thousands of cheering compatriots a better gift on the weekend World Cup women’s racing returned to Kvitfjell for the first time in 20 years.

“One year ago I was here in the tribunes (stands) watching Kjetil’s (Jansrud) last race and Aleksander (Aamodt Kilde) winning the super-G I was like ‘ah, I wish we could have a race here as well. And now I am here one year later and can actually experience this race.

“The whole family came here, my friends, they really took the trip and I wanted to give them a good show and I think I managed to do that now.”

Goggia reigns supreme once again

Unable to quite match the Norwegian’s sharp lines and relentless aggression, even the renowned perfectionist Goggia was unable to keep the smile off her face as she reflected on another special speed season.

“I’m super happy, a fourth downhill globe is not a few and three in the last three seasons, three-in-a-row it means a lot to me,” said the Italian who now has only Lindsey Vonn and her six downhill titles to chase.

“This season was a tough one but I have raced eight downhills in the World Cup and I have won five, crashed in one and the worst result was twice (coming) in second place. What can I say, I’ll take it, I’m happy.”

Five Big Globes for unstoppable Shiffrin

For Shiffrin it is yet another special record. She goes past Vonn as the American with the most Big Globes to her name and equals the great Marc Giradelli. Only Annemarie Moser-Proll, with six, and Marcel Hirscher, with eight, lie in wait.

“It is pretty wild actually. You know the overall, or any season titles it’s always strange to explain how it feels on the day you win it if you didn’t win the race. But I have started to get used to the feeling,” laughed Shiffrin who has now sealed the slalom and overall titles and boasts a lead of 122 points in the GS standings, with just two races to go.

And the 27-year-old sensation was determined to try and enjoy the feeling, despite her chase for the record 86th and 87th World Cup wins inevitably dominating conversations.

“I mean actually it’s really hard not to think about that because I am talking about it constantly, everybody is asking about it,” Shiffrin said with another smile. “I know it’s what people actually want to know but my goal was really the overall Globe. That’s what I talked about the whole beginning of the season. It was the big point for me, enough that I even talked about it in interviews.

“It (equalling and then over-taking Ingemar Stenmark’s record mark of 86 World Cup wins) might not happen this season but I think I am skiing well enough that it could. It’s a pretty amazing position to be in.”

Her next attempt to secure win number 86 will come in the second super-G in Kvitfjell starting at 10:30 local time on Sunday.