Skiing: Shiffrin sets a record with triumph n.83, Brignone third

Italy is there and there is always a blue on the podium.

At Plan de Corones, Federica Brignone finished the first giant slalom scheduled in the South Tyrolean town in third place, despite a less than perfect second run, conquering the podium n.53 in the world cup.

But the great protagonist was the American Mikaela Shiffrin who dominated the race, ahead of the Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami, and catapulted herself to the top of the world with victory n.83 in the cup, our season.

The almost 28-year-old champion from Vail thus overtook her compatriot Lindsey Vonn, stopped at 82 victories, becoming the most successful woman in the history of skiing and is now firmly aiming for the absolute record of 86 victories, which belongs to the legendary Ingemar Stenmark.

"The conditions were perfect - said a happy and moved Shiffrin -.

Before the second moto I was a bit nervous.

I always hate waiting for my turn (with the best time on the first descent she was the last to go, ed), it's not easy to stay focused for long.

In front of me I saw Lara Gut get off and inside me - Shiffrin added - I wondered why I was looking at her since she was so fast and I certainly couldn't have done better.

But in the race everything worked perfectly and it was splendid to cross the finish line". In great form and with an intact physique, Shiffrin adds a new record to an already prodigious palmares: two Olympic gold medals, six world titles, four great world cups and the fifth now within reach. Brignone is satisfied with the result, less so with her race. "I didn't expect to get on the podium because in the second heat I really did all sorts of things - said the Aosta Valley -.

I thought I had freed myself from the tension of the first heat, but I didn't immediately pick up the rhythm.

But I held on and this makes me proud: I'm on the podium with a second heat like this and I'm happy.

And what a podium!

We have been playing competitions with Mikaela and Lara for more than ten years,

they are very strong and they did nothing wrong.

I was with Mikaela - added Brignone - already after her victory in n.82 today for her it's 83, but I hope the 84 doesn't arrive immediately because I'd like to do something better in tomorrow's giant.

This is the nice thing about these races: there is immediately another opportunity, with snow that I like, and I intend to make the most of it". Bad day instead for Marta Bassino, the only other blue in the standings, on the beloved and difficult La Erta slope, which swoops down on San Vigilio di Marebbe and which up to now had already given her three podiums.After a bloody mistake on the final and flatter part, Bassino finished tenth, as tenth she had been in the first heat in which, starting at first, she had been a little too careful.

"In the first heat I perhaps had too much respect for the track and in the second I made a mistake entering a door too narrowly. Mine was still a good heat. Of course - he added combatively - I gave the bib to Mikaela but tomorrow there will be it's another race and I'll try to get him back."

Tomorrow at Kronplatz there is still a giant slalom to replace the one that should have been held in the next stage of Spindleruv Mlyn, in the Czech Republic, where there will be two slaloms.