Shiffrin chasing gold without the longtime coach by his side – Pekkalanen defends blue and white in France – Sports – svenska.yle.fi

After her first skate and a silver medal, Mikaela Shifrin is looking for one thing in Meribel: her seventh WC gold. The list of names you want to crush those dreams is long.

Women’s Giant Slalom, Meribel

Live on TV2 and at the Yle Arena at 10:30am (2nd round at 2.15pm).

Commentators in Swedish: Christian Karlsson and Markus Sandl

Watch favourites:

Having won five of the season’s eight giant slalom races, including the final three, Mikaela Shiffrin is allowed to hold the role of favorite in today’s competition.

In the Alpine range, it was three gates away from gold but lost. In the super-G, she lost eleven hundredths to Marta Pacino, who took care of the WC gold. He is a victorious 27-year-old who returns to Meribel after training at Orcières-Merlette for technical disciplines.

The person who wasn’t there to support her during today’s competition is her longtime coach, Mike Day. The duo ended a seven-year partnership on Tuesday after Shiffrin announced it was looking for a new coach after the current season. Mike Day resigned with immediate effect and left France.

Given Federica Brignone’s combined Alpine race wins, and was fastest during the World Cup finals in Méribel in March, she will assume the role of Shiffrin’s biggest rival.

The Italian dominated the team and parallel slalom competitions yesterday. All with the goal of leaving the bathroom with two gold medals in the bag.

Watch out for competitors:

The last to rest before today’s giant slalom competition is Petra Valhova, world champion in this discipline four years ago in Orh. The Slovak saved her worn-out body in the run-up to the restroom and should be ready for another medal.

Brignone’s compatriot Marta Pacino was absolutely fantastic at the Super G last Wednesday when she won her third gold medal in the toilet. In yesterday’s parallel giant slalom, she wasn’t herself and was eliminated in the first playoff round against little-known Marie Lamour of France.

In addition, it is important to keep an eye on reigning world champions Lara Gut Behrami, Alice Robinson, and Sarah Hector.

Follow the Finns:

Erika Pykäläinen is the only Finnish participant in the competition as Riikka Honkanen had to leave the WC venue due to health reasons.

Twenty-one-year-old Pikalainen goes into today’s competition with a gritty season under his belt. During the season, she participated in five World Cup tournaments without taking any points.

This will be Hyvina skater’s third shower. In 2019, she finished 38th, and two years later she was 29th in Cortina d’Ampezzo. The placement will be among the top 30 certified efforts in today’s giant slalom competition. Finn starts with number 42.

Commentator’s tip:

This isn’t the first or last time I’ve tipped Michaela Shifrin as the winner. The American is looking to break her four-year streak without major gold competition in slalom and giant slalom.

Federica Brignone took second place and the bronze went to Alice Robinson.