Shiffrin in hunt for historic 100th World Cup win in Sestriere
Mikaela Shiffrin will fight for a historic 100th World Cup win on Sunday after topping the times in the first run of the Sestriere slalom, with world champion Camille Rast crashing out.
The two-time Olympic champion has a slender lead after clocking 53.79 seconds and could yet claim a landmark victory following a difficult weekend in northern Italy.
The 29-year-old American is just 0.09sec ahead of Croatia's Zrinka Ljutic with Katharina Liensberger lurking 0.34sec back in third.
Shiffrin cut a despondent figure after flopping in the two giant slaloms held this weekend -- both won by home hero Federica Brignone -- failing even to make the top 30 on Saturday.
Her current tally of 99 is already a record for World Cup wins, 13 more than the most successful man, Ingemar Stenmark, and 17 more than the second woman, compatriot Lindsey Vonn.
However, she is working her way back from an abdominal puncture wound suffered at Killington in November, when she was well poised to claim her 100th win, that required surgery.
Shiffrin's hopes of victory on Sunday were boosted by Rast hitting the deck right at the end of her run, which was the day's first.
Rast, who will not be contesting the second run which starts at 1215 local time (1115 GMT), leaves her lead at the top of the discipline standings up for grabs.
Ljutic will take over top spot in the slalom table should she claim a podium finish.
td/bsp
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Ohio State football staff tightens players' lead in 'June Olympics' after winning Euchre
Ohio State football staff tightens players' lead in 'June Olympics' after winning Euchre The Ohio State football program continued its summer competition it's calling the "June Olympics," on Monday. What better way to pass the time during the dead period than a friendly competition of various sports and games between the players and staff? To date, the players have had the upper hand, going into the latest event with a 5-3 lead. The latest competition stepped outside of the physical, athletic realm and dove into card playing. It's just the sort of competition the older staff members likely needed after falling behind by two points because of a dodgeball win by the players last week. And, wouldn't you know it, the staff came through, winning a Euchre competition to pull to within one point at 5-4. It had a lot of drama with the score nip and tuck until the staff took the momentum at the end to tighten things up. You can get the highlights of the win thanks to the "X" account (formerly Twitter) of Ohio State Football below. As always, we're not sure what the next event is, or even how many competitions are set to take place in the month of June, but so far, we've been getting a look at an "Olympic event" every other day or so. We'll see what the future holds and if the staff can even things up, or if the players again put a little separation between themselves and the guys with a little seasoning on their ages. Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
New Zealand women's captain Sophie Devine to retire from ODIs
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine is to retire from one-day internationals after the World Cup later this year (Marty MELVILLE) New Zealand women's cricket captain Sophie Devine said Tuesday that she will retire from one-day internationals after the World Cup later this year, adding it was the "right time" to step away. Devine, who has been captain since 2020, led New Zealand to T20 World Cup glory last year in Dubai. Advertisement "It feels like the right time for me to start stepping away," said the 35-year-old Devine, who has played in 152 ODIs and 146 T20 internationals. "It's important that everyone knows I'm focused and dedicated to giving this group everything I can before I step away. "I'm really excited by where this young group's going and I'm looking forward to playing my part in the next six to nine months." Devine, who will remain available to play T20 internationals, took a break from international cricket earlier this year to prioritise her mental health, having taken two months out in 2021 for similar reasons. The Women's World Cup will be played in India and Sri Lanka from September until November. bes/sft/dh
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
‘Something amiss here.' Craig Breslow, Sam Kennedy address reasoning behind the Rafael Devers's trade
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Asked if Devers had requested a trade, Breslow said the player's representatives 'had indicated that perhaps a fresh start would be best for both sides. … This does represent that chance to reset on our end, and for Raffy to get a fresh start.' Advertisement The Red Sox seemmindful of a reset for the team. Breslow suggested the team — which, despite a five-game winning streak entering Monday's game in Seattle, had a 37-36 record that left them in fourth place in the AL East — was one in which the whole was not greater than the sum of its parts. Advertisement 'There was something amiss here,' he said. 'And it was something that we needed to act decisively to course correct.' He added that the team is taking particular care to create the right culture given that the Sox have a young core now on the roster. Top prospect Roman Anthony, 21, was called up last week, joining 22-year-olds Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell as rookies on the team. The trade of Devers, said Breslow, could reinforce putting the team's interests above those of individual players and also, in removing a full-time DH, open playing time for a group of lefthanded outfielders featuring Anthony, Jarren Duran, and Wilyer Abreu, the latter of whom will likely to return from the injured list this week. That said, Devers had been the Red Sox' best hitter, and one of the best in the big leagues this year. He hit .272 with a .401 OBP (fifth in the American league), .504 slugging mark (sixth), and 15 homers (sixth). He played in all 73 games this year, with the designated hitter role seemingly helping him to stay on the field. His absence will be felt. 'Good luck losing your best bat playing the Mariners and Giants pitching staff[s] this week,' said one National League evaluator, taking stock of the Sox' current West Coast swing against two of the elite staffs in baseball. So, given that the Red Sox announced they're prioritizing winning in 2025 over the future, how does the move make sense? After all, the Sox did not land a single player who will contribute in the short term. The four-player package featured a hard-throwing reliever Jordan Hicks) who is on the injured list, a talented but unproven starter (Kyle Harrison) who was sent to TripleA Worcester after the deal, as well as a pair of minor league prospects (outfielder James Tibbs III and righthander Jose Bello) who are in the lower minors. Advertisement 'I acknowledge that on paper, we're not going to have the same lineup that we did. But this isn't about the game that is played on paper,' said Breslow. 'I think when you consider the flexibility, the ability to give some of the young players some run, the opportunity to maybe repackage some of the resources [acquired in the trade — both in terms of young talent and financial flexibility] and fill some voids in the roster as early as approaching this year's deadline, and being really intentional about the environment that we create for these young players to thrive in, then I do think that there is a real chance that at the end of the season, we're looking back, and we've won more games than we otherwise would have.' Some members of the industry have wondered whether the Sox got the best possible return, and if they could have gotten more teams involved in pursuing Devers by waiting until the trade deadline or offseason to make a deal. Breslow, however, said the team talked to multiple teams about the 28-year-old, and ultimately concluded that the deal offered by the Giants was sufficient to justify a trade of a franchise star. Kennedy and Breslow dismissed the idea that the move was motivated by an effort to shed the remaining $254 million owed to Devers — all of which the Giants will pay over the remaining 8½ years of Devers's 10-year, $313.5 million contract. Breslow said the money freed by the deal could help the team upgrade its roster at the July 31 trade deadline, with the team right now likely to look at pitching help (both starters and relievers) as well as first base options. Advertisement The intent of the trade, said Breslow, was to improve the team's chances of reaching the playoffs this year, rather than to punt on the remainder of the season. 'Ultimately, we believe that we're positioning the organization to win a bunch of games, both in 2025 and beyond,' said Breslow. '[It's] important to point out that this is in no way signifying a waving of the white flag on 2025. We are as committed as we were six months ago to putting a winning team on the field, to competing for the division and making a deep postseason run.' Whether this trade pushes the team closer to or further from that goal will be an ongoing source of scrutiny for the next three and a half months. Alex Speier can be reached at
