Beating Mikaela Shiffrin? Not an easy task but Federica Brignone just did it in style! The Italian ski star crushed it in Saturday’s World Cup giant slalom, winning both runs and taking a big step toward her second career overall title. Meanwhile, Shiffrin’s comeback hit another bump as she skied out in her first run after coming in too hot on a right-hand turn.

Brignone wasn’t just fast — she was fearless. Despite holding a massive lead in her second run, she kept pushing for more speed and nearly paid the price. Both skis lifted off the snow, and for a second, things looked dicey. “It was a bit slippery. Then I had that mistake and I said, ‘Oh no, this is over,’” Brignone said. But she held it together, crossing the line 1.36 seconds ahead of Alice Robinson, with Lara Colturi 1.43 seconds back in third.

This season, Brignone has been unstoppable in giant slalom — at least when she stays upright. She’s won five of her eight races but didn’t finish three. Her stellar form even earned her a world championship gold last month. Meanwhile, Mikaela Shiffrin is still fighting to regain her groove after her November crash. Her DNF here means she’s now out of the running for the giant slalom race at the World Cup Finals — a rare setback for the two-time Olympic champ.

Brignone’s fearless approach is paying off big time, earning her 36 career World Cup victories. “I was pushing so hard,” she said. “I thought I wasn’t pushing enough, so I just kept going until the end. It was an amazing day again.” Slippery conditions or not, Brignone’s season is shaping up to be unforgettable. Brignone’s victory earned praise yet the DNF result by Shiffrin created a serious setback because she won’t take part in the FIS World Cup Final giant slalom after her November fall became a season-ending blow.

Mikaela Shiffrin’s season full of highs and lows

Mikaela Shiffrin has faced a wild season filled with challenges after her latest slip-up at the World Cup. Mikaela Shiffrin missed her first run of the giant slalom World Cup race Saturday which eliminated her chance to qualify for the season’s last competition in that event after a six-year drought since her first year as a professional in 2012. A challenging period has struck the two-time Olympic gold winner as she fought physical and mental difficulties.

A severe accident occurred when Shiffrin hit a gate followed by sliding into the netting during her race in Killington, Vermont last November. The information showed the situation was worse than expected since she discovered that a sharp object penetrated her during her accident causing an abdomen puncture that required surgical treatment. The two-month recovery from her injury caused Shiffrin to doubt her return for the season.

Early January paid off for Mikaela Shiffrin because she resumed competition and took home world title wins as well as her 100th World Cup victory in the Sestriere slalom race. Shiffrin won her third consecutive team combined world title alongside Breezy Johnson before achieving victory number one hundred in the Sestriere slalom. Each sign indicated her return to form however she faced additional challenges after this successful period.

At the World Alpine Skiing Championships Shiffrin made clear she would not participate in the women’s giant slalom because she had not gained sufficient mental readiness for high-performance-level competition. She admitted that she had not reached her peak performance level yet as she remained distant from her highest possible outcome. It’s been a season full of twists and turns for Shiffrin, but if there’s one thing she’s proven, it’s that she knows how to fight back.