Austria’s Nicole Schmidhofer wins the 2nd World Cup downhill in Lake Louise
Here’s a scary thought for her competition: Mikaela Shiffrin is still getting comfortable with the intensity and the speed of the downhill.
That’s why podium finishes are still a little surprising even to her.
Marie-Michele Gagnon of Lac-Etchemin, Que., was the top Canadian in 26th.
Schmidhofer has four career World Cup wins, with three of them arriving at Lake Louise.
Known as a tech specialist, Shiffrin is steadily getting up to speed in the speed events. This was Shiffrin’s fourth career World Cup podium finish in the downhill, which includes a Lake Louise win in 2017.
So, does Shiffrin anticipate this kind of downhill success?
«No, no, no,» the 24-year-old from Colorado said. «It’s certainly not normal [for a downhill podium]. Even racing downhill doesn’t feel normal. But I feel every year like I have more experience and get more comfortable.»
WATCH | Schmidhofer finishes 1st in Lake Louise:
Shiffrin currently sits at 62 World Cup wins, which ties her with Austrian great Annemarie Moser-Proell for second-most on the women’s side. Lindsey Vonn had 82 wins before her retirement.
«I’m certainly more comfortable with the long skis,» Shiffrin said of downhill racing. «Right now, it’s enjoying it, because speed is a little bit extra for me. My goal is to be able to succeed in speed as well. It’s making the transition and trying to have fun with it.»
Next up, a super-G on Sunday.