Title: Near Miss on the "Superstar" Slope for Lena Dürr
Lena Dürr, Germany's top slalom skier, had an excellent outing in the ongoing Alpine season, but a minor mishap on the "Superstar" slope in Killington denied her a well-deserved podium finish. Meanwhile, local hero Mikaela Shiffrin celebrated her groundbreaking 90th World Cup victory to the raucous cheers of her fellow Americans.
The 32-year-old Dürr, with a saddened expression, acknowledged her misstep barely a minute after Shiffrin's exhilarating victory. A tiny fraction of a second separating her from the podium, the German skier knew it was a close shave. She finished in fourth place, mere centimeters away from the third spot.
"The course was unforgiving," Dürr acknowledged, "every error was severely punished." Despite her setback, her overall demeanor remained upbeat. "I'm really happy, even though I'm a bit disappointed now," she shared, expressing her satisfaction with her performance.
Alpine boss Wolfgang Maier lauded Dürr's efforts. "She put in an excellent show," he said, hinting at a podium finish that could have been. Maier, however, remained optimistic, praising Dürr's consistency. "She's maintaining her stellar performance from the last season," he pointed out, "and she's set herself up well for the rest of the season."
In fact, Dürr, the bronze medalist from Munich, had claimed the runner-up position in the first run of the event. With high hopes of securing a podium finish in the final run, she faced a challenging, bumpy course that altered her plans. Lack of final consistency and an almost disastrous finish on the slope erased her chances of reaching the podium.
Meanwhile, Shiffrin, the American ski queen, grabbed her sixth victory in a single slalom event at her hometown slopes near the school she once attended. "You guys were so loud! It really kept my energy up," she exclaimed, thanking the crowd for their relentless support.
Shiffrin had already impressed with her third-place finish in the giant slalom the previous day. However, she couldn't stop Lara Gut-Behrami from claiming her second victory of the season in the giant slalom. Gut-Behrami acknowledged her current form in the giant slalom is not her best, but her expectation to clinch victories in ski races makes up for it.
Despite Dürr's strong form this season, a small misstep on the daunting "Superstar" slope prevented her from securing a third podium finish in the Winter series. Mikaela Shiffrin, on the other hand, continued her dominance in Slalom events, adding yet another trophy to her illustrious career.
[1] References: Dürr's impressive performance in Courchevel was made possible due to her ability to adapt and improve on the second run, resulting in a significant leap in position. This remarkable achievement underlined her formidable skill set and resilience in the face of adversity.
