Latest news with #slalom
Irish Daily Mirror
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Crowley passed fit to travel for Munster's quarter-final against Sharks
Munster's end of season slalom saw their season finish with two must-win games, effectively knock-out games against Ulster and both games - they needed to come from 10-14 down at half-time in the second - gained Champions Cup qualification and a difficult quarter-final game against Sharks in Kings Park, Durban, this Friday night (5.30pm local).The good news is Jack Crowley who was clearly carrying a leg for a long time against Zebre, Diarmuid Barron and Niall Scannell have all been passed fit and are in the 32-strong travelling Loughman will also be in Durban, may make the bench for his first appearance since he suffered a hamstring injury in last month's win over La Rochelle, but the downside sees Shane Daly, Billy Burns and Oli Jager among those who did not travel (see full squad below).It's a tie for which Ian Costello had a week extra to organise for but the realisation must have dawned on the entire group following the post-Zebre Champions Cup qualification celebrations in Cork that these Sharks are very serious contenders for the 2024/25 URC up a 2025 table comprising the 16 teams last 10 matches/results since the turn of the year and it would be headed by Leinster, Bulls and Sharks with eight wins apiece (next best is six).Leinster are there by virtue of one the strangest/greatest wins of the season, a late March raid on Sharks in Durban without their 11 Centrally Contracted players, RG Snyman, Jordie Barrett, Rabah Slimani, Sam Prendergast or Jack the Blues' bench that day comprised such as Barron, Milne, McGuire, Spicer, Penny, Coffey, McErlean and, albeit more familiar, Ross 10-7 win was truly seismic and prevented, in this case, Sharks having nine from ten 2025 wins and all-season nine from nine home URC wins. Moreover their win over Bulls was part of a double over their Pretoria-based is maybe some solace to be found in that John Plumtree's sidedidn't make the Champions Cup knockouts despite opening with a bonus-point home win over Exeter Chiefs in the pool fixture list then ran Leicester Tigers away, Toulouse at home and Bordeaux away - that's second in the English Premier, second in the Top 14 and the Top 14 leaders who are now European went to Tigers in round two with a weakened squad and got hammered 56-17, throwing his toys out of the pram afterwards claiming:"I want to bring our strongest Sharks side here and play on the biggest stage. I can understand their [the fans'] frustration. I want to go out there and give Leicester a good hiding in front of their home crowd. Don't worry about that."We're all competitive. But the reality is we've got to look after these athletes. They are not robots. They don't front up every week. And right now, the South African boys are treated like robots."I think the organisers need to have a look at it and go: 'Well, why are we sending a team up here for one week?' We arrive on Wednesday and play on Saturday."It's hardly high performance. Maybe we should come up here and play a couple of games, and stay for a fortnight? They need to look at it."If Plumtree had merely taken a gamble with the second result, his calculations were sent askew when Toulouse managed a 8-20 win at Kings Parks in the third round before sending (possibly to back up his point about on-off northern hemisphere games) a weakened team to 5-12 up at one point and only 19-12 down at the break, the floodgates opened in the second half as his bench was overrun and Bordeaux ran in seven tries to win Munster beware, Sharks don't see themselves as anything but URC top drawer. And given they possess experienced Springboks stars such as Siya Kolisi, Eben Estebeth, Luhanyo Am, Andre Esterhuizen, Makazole Mapimpi, Jaden Hendrikse, Phepsi Bhutelezi and front-rowers Ox Niche, Bongi Nbonambi, Vincent Koch, they will start massive favourites. Skipper Estebeth, probably the best second-row forward in the world at the moment, is in confident mood:We've shown that all year, if you look at the games we've won at Hollywoodbets Kings Park and then lost a couple of close ones as well so we're not lacking in that space.'We can't wait for the quarter-final, playing in front of our home crowd, it's going to be amazing,' says Hollywoodbets Sharks captain Eben Etzebeth."MUNSTER Travelling Squad For URC Quarter-Final:Backs: Thaakir Abrahams, Tom Farrell, Mike Haley, Diarmuid Kilgallen, Conor Murray, Alex Nankivell, Calvin Nash, Seán O'Brien, Rory Scannell, Andrew Tony Butler, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Paddy PattersonForwards: Tom Ahern, Stephen Archer, Diarmuid Barron, Lee Barron, Tadhg Beirne, Gavin Coombes, Ronan Foxe, John Hodnett, Alex Kendellen, Jean Kleyn, Jeremy Loughman, Michael Milne, Jack O'Donoghue, Peter O'Mahony, John Ryan, Niall Scannell, Fineen Wycherley, Josh To Rehab, not travlling: Oli Jager (head), Ethan Coughlan (hamstring), Billy Burns (shoulder), Shane Daly (hamstring), Roman Salanoa (knee). Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email.
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Aussie Olympics queen Jess Fox posts raw video as she breaks down in tears in her car during 'meltdown'
Jess Fox is Australian sporting royalty given she has won three Olympic gold medals in her decorated career - but the champion slalom canoeist has revealed she still endures tough days like the rest of us. In a raw video recently posted to Instagram, Fox, 30, can be seen crying in her car and having a 'meltdown' before a gruelling indoor training session. Eventually Fox composes herself as the elite athlete knew what was required, mainly the importance of 'showing up and getting it done.' The clip continues with Fox put through her paces in the gym - while wearing an oxygen mask. Close to reaching the point of exhaustion, Fox pushes through the pain, showing why she is a ten-time world champion. In January, Fox turned heads following a memorable entrance to the Australian Open at Melbourne Park. She arrived at the venue in style - on a kayak, naturally. At the time, Fox posted a clip to social media of herself on the Yarra River. In a raw video recently posted to Instagram, Fox can be seen crying in her car and having a 'meltdown' (pictured) before a gruelling training session 'How do you get to the Aus Open?' she says in the clip. 'I just paddle here.' Fox had no previous experience covering tennis, but the Aussie sporting champion, alongside swimmer Ariarne Titmus, was part of the Nine network's coverage across the two weeks of action. She is also believed to be single after splitting from her long-term French partner Mathieu Biazizzo. Daily Mail Australia understands Fox and the Frenchman went their separate ways prior to the Paris Olympics last year. The couple are said to have 'simply grown apart' because of long periods spent apart as each pursued their own canoe careers. Four-time Olympian Fox is currently in a training block ahead of the Canoe Slalom World Championships in Penrith from September 29 to October 4. At this stage, Fox is also working towards the LA Olympics in 2028 - but it remains uncertain if Fox will compete at the 2032 Games in Brisbane.
USA Today
21-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
What to know about the World Cup finals in alpine skiing
What to know about the World Cup finals in alpine skiing SUN VALLEY, Idaho — Mikaela Shiffrin is getting a head start on the Olympic season. First, though, she and the rest of the world's top skiers have to wrap up this one. The World Cup finals, the last event on a circuit that began in late October, begin Saturday. While most of the attention will be on the season titles still to be decided, skiers also will be focusing on adding to their points total to improve or solidify their start positions for next year. And for Shiffrin and the rest of the Americans, it's a chance to show the world that the U.S. team will be a formidable one at next year's Milan-Cortina Olympics. Of the 14 skiers on the U.S. team for the finals, which run through March 27, six made the podium in a World Cup race or at the world championships. And that doesn't even include Lindsey Vonn, who ended a five-year retirement last fall after having a partial knee replacement. But much of the focus will be on Shiffrin, who missed two months with a deep gash in her oblique muscles after crashing during the giant slalom race at the World Cup in Killington, Vermont. She's returned to form in slalom, claiming her 100th World Cup win at the World Cup in Sestriere, Italy, last month, and will be a favorite in the slalom final next Thursday. GS has been trickier, however, with Shiffrin acknowledging she was dealing with PTSD from the crash. She didn't qualify for the GS race at the World Cup finals, but posted photos of herself training Thursday with the caption, "GS Season 2025/26 starts now… Buckle up, buttercup." Here's all you need to know about the World Cup finals: What are the World Cup finals? The World Cup finals are the last event of the season, featuring the top men's and women's skiers in downhill, super-G, giant slalom and slalom races. Smaller than other World Cup races, only the top 25 men and women in each discipline qualified. This is the last chance skiers have to earn points for the season standings, which also dictate starting list positions for next year. Where are the World Cup finals being held? All of the races will take place on the International Trail on Bald Mountain in Sun Valley, Idaho. Have the World Cup finals been in the United States before? This will be the fourth time the World Cup finals have been held in the United States since the event began in 1993. They were in Vail in 1994 and 1997, and in Aspen in 2017. Which U.S. skiers qualified? Shiffrin, who has more World Cup wins than any other skier in history, leads the U.S. contingent of 14 skiers. It's a star-studded group, too. In addition to Shiffrin, who won three slalom World Cups and placed third in another, five of the other Americans had podium finishes this season. Lauren Macuga won a super-G and got a silver in the downhill. Paula Moltzan won two giant slalom bronzes and Breezy Johnson won a downhill bronze. All three also medaled at the world championships, with Johnson winning the downhill and pairing with Shiffrin to win the team combined, Macuga claiming bronze in the super-G and Moltzan winning bronze in the slalom. For the men, Jared Goldberg won a silver in super-G and Ryan Cochran-Siegle won a downhill bronze What races are U.S. skiers doing? The Americans will have at least one entrant in each race, with Macuga, Cochran-Siegle, Moltzan and Lindsey Vonn each qualifying for two races. Here's the lineup: Women Downhill: Johnson, Macuga, Vonn, Jacqueline Wiles Super-G: Macuga, Vonn Giant slalom: Moltzan, Katie Hensien, AJ Hurt, Nina O'Brien Slalom: Shiffrin, Moltzan Men Downhill: Cochran-Siegle, Bryce Bennett Super-G: Cochran-Siegle, Goldberg Giant slalom: River Radamus Slalom: Ben Ritchie What's the schedule? Saturday, March 22 1 p.m. Men's downhill 2:30 p.m. Women's downhill Sunday, March 23 1 p.m. Women's super-G 2:30 p.m. Men's super-G Tuesday, March 25 11:30 a.m., first run, women's giant slaom 2 p.m., second run, women's giant slalom Wednesday, March 26 11:30 a.m., first run, men's giant slaom 2 p.m., second run, men's giant slalom Thursday, March 27 11 a.m., first run, women's slalom Noon, first run, men's slalom 2 p.m., second run, women's slalom 3 p.m., second run, men's slalom How can I watch the World Cup finals? NBC will have live coverage of the World Cup finals across its various platforms, as well as a highlights show March 29. Outside+ is also streaming all of the races live. Here's NBC's schedule: Saturday, March 22 1 p.m. on NBC, Peacock Sunday, March 23 1 p.m., NBC, Peacock 2:30 p.m. CNBC, Peacock Tuesday, March 25 2 p.m. USA Network Wednesday, March 26 2 p.m., USA Network Thursday, March 27 2 p.m., USA Network Saturday, March 29 2 p.m., NBC, Peacock
USA Today
20-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Mikaela Shiffrin just being able to race again after brutal crash is a victory
Mikaela Shiffrin just being able to race again after brutal crash is a victory Sometimes just getting to the start line is a victory. Even for someone as accomplished as Mikaela Shiffrin. The 100th World Cup victory of her career, a milestone that seemed unfathomable just a few years ago, will happen. But the when is, for now, irrelevant. Less than three months ago, Shiffrin could barely sit up, her oblique muscles shredded after suffering a puncture wound in a crash during a giant slalom race. Two months before she and Breezy Johnson won the team combined at the world championships, she still had a drainage tube in her side. Shiffrin will win again. For now, it's enough that she's racing again, trying to work herself back into shape and into contention at the same time. The World Cup circuit resumes this weekend with three races in Sestriere, Italy. There are giant slaloms Friday and Saturday, and a slalom Sunday. 'It's sort of strange to balance the feeling of, 'I just want to make progress,' and then the feeling of where do the medals fit into that?' Shiffrin said Saturday, after finishing fifth in the slalom at the world championships. 'Winning one gold (at worlds) was out-of-this world-beyond expectations,' she said. 'In the end, today was something I can learn from, and hopefully continue to recover well for the rest of the season.' Shiffrin has been fortunate to avoid serious injuries for most of her career. There was a knee injury that cost her two months in 2016, and back issues that have flared up sporadically. But the last two seasons have been a test for her durability. She missed six weeks last season after injuring her knee and ankle in a crash. Then, on Nov. 30, on the verge of getting that 100th World Cup win, Shiffrin crashed during the second run of the GS in Killington, Vermont. Whatever stabbed her – she still isn't sure what it was – narrowly missed her colon but tore a gash through several layers of her oblique muscles. Shiffrin needed a second surgery to ward off an infection, then did several weeks of intense rehab. She didn't get back on skis until early January. 'For sure, the last two years have been the biggest proof to the world about how much can go wrong, even when you think you're doing everything right,' Shiffrin said. 'It makes it a little bit scary to move forward because everything feels so unknown. But I guess that's the mentality we take. I'm going to try to become comfortable with that, that unknown feeling.' Shiffrin returned to the World Cup circuit Jan. 30 for the slalom race in Courchevel, France. Though she finished a respectable 10th, she noted the high, mid-season level the top women were at, and that it would take time to catch back up to them. That was evident at the world championships. Though she has flashes of her aggressive yet fluid style, it's not there over an entire run. Her endurance isn't there yet, either, particularly noticeable in the second run of the individual slalom race. 'When I was coming down the final pitch today I was like, 'Oh no,'' Shiffrin said. But she is getting closer. Shiffrin finished a mere 0.05 seconds off the podium in the individual slalom. She had the third-fastest time in the combined slalom run. 'All the other athletes are fighting and on their top form, and I'm trying to figure out where I even stand,' Shiffrin said. 'That's been maybe one of the biggest learning experiences of my career and I think it will continue through the end of the season. 'But for now, this was a huge step forward.' After this weekend's races, the only tech races left before the World Cup finals are a slalom and a GS in Are, Sweden, on March 8-9. The World Cup finals are March 20-27 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Shiffrin said last weekend she plans to try to do the GS races in Sestriere. Maybe she'll contend for a spot on the podium, maybe she won't. 'Perspective is important. But still, we're here and I want to do well. It's balancing athletic performance and the hopes and the dreams,' Shiffrin said. 'It takes time. That's that, I guess.' For now, it's enough. Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ledecka hopes downhill bronze paves the way for her next ‘big show on snow'
Ester Ledecka likes to put on 'a big show on snow,' no matter if it's on her skis or on a snowboard. In her latest performance on Saturday, the versatile Czech athlete earned her fourth career world championship medal – but the first on skis. After two golds and a silver from parallel (giant) slalom events at the snowboarding worlds in 2015 and 2017, Ledecka finished third in the downhill at the Alpine worlds in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria. She was 0.21 seconds behind American winner Breezy Johnson. 'Now the collection is complete with bronze,' Ledecka said. It was, of course, not her first medal from a major Alpine event. Ledecka famously won Olympic gold in both skiing's super-G and snowboarding's parallel GS at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, and added another gold on her board in 2022 in Beijing. A scheduling issue at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics — where the parallel GS in snowboarding and the Alpine downhill are both set for Feb. 8 next year at venues hours apart — might deny her a chance to replicate that stunning achievement from 2018. Through the Czech Olympic Committee, Ledecka has been lobbying for a switch of events. 'It's my biggest dream, and I really believe I belong to the best in the world in both sports and I wish I had the chance to prove it also on the Olympic Games,' said Ledecka, who turns 30 next month and is also a prolific windsurfer. "I would really be very honored and happy if I could put on this unique show and be able to race on skis and the snowboard as well (at the Olympics).' A tough choice Ledecka had to deal with similar scheduling worries before. One year after she won Olympic gold in both disciplines, the 2019 worlds in Alpine skiing in Sweden overlapped the championships in snowboarding in Utah and forced her to pick one over the other. Back then, skiing won. Ledecka, who has won four World Cup races in skiing and 25 in snowboarding, doesn't want to choose again. She believes Saturday's bronze medal proves her right. 'Today you could see, I am there, I can make a big show on snow,' she said. Here today, there tomorrow Ledecka was the fastest starter and led Johnson by more than half a second at the second split. She slowed after landing awkwardly from a 36-meter jump halfway down the course. She was still six-hundredths ahead of the American at the final checkpoint but couldn't keep her advantage through the finish. Her medal run came after she felt 'a little bit sick' the past days. 'My voice is still a little bit different,' said Ledecka, who sat out the last World Cup race in Germany with a back problem two weeks ago, but returned to competition by placing seventh in Thursday's super-G. Next up? 'I need to work on my snowboard skills as well right now,' said Ledecka, hinting at the worlds in that sport in Switzerland in March. 'Now I am skiing, tomorrow I am again snowboarder.' ___ AP skiing: ___ Eric Willemsen on X: Eric Willemsen, The Associated Press
