Federica Brignone has achieved an impossible feat. Competing in the season opener Giant Slalom in Sölden, the Italian managed to get the better of Mikaela Shiffrin. While this was a special feat in itself, Brignone’s joy just doubled. After all, she is now the holder of an elite record. The Italian skier has now become the oldest female to notch up a victory in the Alpine Skiing World Cup. 

At 34 years old, Federica Brignone has now surpassed the previous record held by Elisabeth Görgl of Austria. Before Brignone’s historic antics at Sölden, the Austrian skier held the record for the oldest champion at 33 years old. Back in 2014, Görgl won a super-G to etch her name in the history books. Naturally, breaking a 10-year-old record is no mean feat. 

Quite expected, Brignone was elated right after she won the race. Following her dash to the finish line, the Italian let the celebrations out with a chicken dance. Later on, she explained her goofy side, saying, “I’m a bit crazy, but this is why I like it… I’m still around because I have fun also.” Well, truth be told, Brignone truly deserves all the applause. Showing great intent right from the beginning of the race, the Italian managed to maintain her lead till the end. 

In what was a closely contested affair, Brignone clinched the win by a margin of 17 hundredths of a second. While Brignone clocked 2:16.05, Robinson looked tantalizingly close to clinching the top spot with a time of 2:16.22. This made the New Zealand athlete Alice Robinson settle for second place, giving Brignone her 28th World Cup victory. 

Incidentally for Brignone, everything started from Solden nine years ago. It was in this very venue that the Italian notched up her first World Cup victory. Now, she ranks as the second-best in Italian history behind Alberto Tomba, who has an impressive 50 World Cup victories. 

Speaking about her achievements, Brignone emerged as the overall winner in the 2019-20 season. She also boasts about three medals each in the world championships and the Olympic games, making her a legend in the world of skiing. Reflecting on her strong points, a beaming Brignone stated, “It’s true that this is spring snow and this is where I’m really good… I’m really proud. I wasn’t really expecting after the second run to win the race.” Meanwhile, as Federica Brignone basked in glory, it was a gloomy day for Mikaela Shiffrin.

Mikaela Shiffrin paints a sorry picture at Sölden

Mikaela Shiffrin began her day in the usual manner. She posted the fastest run of the day, as fans expected to witness yet another special performance from the phenom. Having already won a whopping 97 World Cups, Shiffrin was eyeing her 98th. Unfortunately for her, the soft Rettenbach slope caused her downfall. Faltering in the second and third sectors, Shiffrin gradually slid away from the top spot and eventually out of podium finish contention. 

Clocking a moderate timing of 2:17.26, Shiffrin ended fifth on the rankings, giving her ample reason to craft her comeback. Reflecting on her sorry showing, Shiffrin shared her mindset with the Associated Press. She said, “I felt good. My preparation going to this race was quite strong, I am happy with my skiing right now. The only task is to bring more intensity or more aggression, try to find time somewhere.” Thus, looking to build on her loss, Mikaela Shiffrin will be eager to get back to winning ways as soon as possible in the near future.