Sports activities Digest: Shiffrin wins eightieth title in U.S. staff’s first 1-2 end since 1971

SKIING

Mikaela Shiffrin made ski racing historical past as soon as once more on Thursday evening at Semmering, Austria. This time, nonetheless, she wasn’t the one American skier doing so.

Shiffrin and teammate Paula Moltzan mixed for the U.S. ski staff’s first 1-2 end in a ladies’s World Cup slalom since 1971. And Shiffrin’s win within the evening race made her the primary ski racer with 50 World Cup wins in a single self-discipline. No different skier, feminine or male, has gained an occasion greater than 46 instances within the 56-year World Cup historical past.

The end result additionally marked Shiffrin’s eightieth World Cup win general – two in need of Lindsey Vonn’s ladies’s document.

“I actually do not know, I do not know what to say about that,” Shiffrin stated about her private greatest marks. “However one factor that’s simple to say: U.S. 1-2 in slalom, that’s wonderful. That’s unbelievable.”

Moltzan achieved her profession greatest together with her mother and father watching from the stands.

“I clearly couldn’t be extra happy with myself and the entire staff, and even higher to do it in entrance of my mother and father,” stated Moltzan, who beforehand had a second-place end in a parallel occasion two years in the past.

Germany’s Lena Dürr was 0.34 behind in third, adopted by Shiffrin’s largest rivals in slalom, Petra Vlhová and Wendy Holdener, who have been the one different racers inside a second of the successful time.

Shiffrin can match her former teammate Vonn’s achievement of 82 World Cup wins subsequent week, when two slaloms are scheduled in Zagreb, Croatia. Solely Swedish nice Ingemar Stenmark gained extra races than Vonn and Shiffrin, with 86.

MAYER RETIRES: Austrian skier Matthias Mayer, who gained gold at three consecutive Olympics, introduced his retirement with instant impact Thursday.

Mayer surprisingly made the announcement shortly earlier than a males’s World Cup super-G in an interview with Austrian TV after he returned from the course inspection and stated he wouldn’t compete within the race.

“Final season was incredible with the third Olympic gold medal and I’ve began properly within the new season and I’m glad. Nevertheless it’s sufficient,” stated the 32-year-old Mayer, who had been set to begin with bib No. 6. “I’ve performed my final course inspection at the moment and that’s it. I don’t have that fireplace anymore. The game is essential for the individuals and it ought to go on, however for me it’s OK.”

Mayer gained the Olympic downhill title in 2014 and super-G gold in 2018 and once more in 2022, when he moreover earned bronze in downhill and overtook Austrian nice Toni Sailer because the nation’s most profitable skier on the Olympics.

MEN’S WORLD CUP: Make it 5 wins in 12 begins for Marco Odermatt this season. The Swiss skier maintained his dazzling kind within the final World Cup race of 2022 by dominating a super-G on one of many tour’s hardest programs.

Odermatt regarded impressed after crossing the end line and seeing his lead at the moment: 2.26 seconds. Later, Vincent Kriechmayr got here closest as he completed 0.64 behind Odermatt in second, a day after the world super-G champion from Austria had gained the basic downhill on the similar venue.

Odermatt’s Swiss teammate Loic Meillard was 1.22 again in third for his eleventh profession World Cup podium however first in super-G.

SOCCER

MBAPPÉ: Kylian Mbappé could all the time be haunted by France’s loss within the World Cup closing, however says he bears no bitterness over the way in which Argentina celebrated and gained’t let the defeat maintain him again with Paris Saint-Germain.

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has been criticized for the extreme tone of his celebrations. He carried a doll with Mbappé’s face on it whereas standing alongside teammate Lionel Messi as Argentina paraded the trophy again residence. Martinez, who additionally made a crude gesture after successful the Golden Glove award for greatest goalkeeper, was filmed mocking Mbappé within the staff dressing room after the sport.

“These celebrations aren’t my downside. You shouldn’t waste power on such futile issues,” Mbappé stated after PSG’s win towards Strasbourg on Wednesday evening. “An important factor is to offer my greatest for the membership.”

Mbappé grew to become solely the second participant to attain a hat trick in a World Cup closing however ended up on the dropping facet as Messi’s Argentina gained a tense penalty shootout following a wild 3-3 draw on Dec. 18.

TENNIS

UNITED CUP: Taylor Fritz and Madison Keys gave the US a 2-0 lead over Czech Republic on the new United Cup blended groups event on Thursday in Sydney.

Fritz broke Jiri Lehecka’s serve within the ninth sport of the second set and went on to beat the Czech participant 6-3, 6-4. Keys adopted that up with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Marie Bouzkova within the subsequent Group C match at Ken Rosewall Area in Sydney.

Two singles matches – one males’s and one ladies’s – will probably be performed over every of two days, with a blended doubles to conclude the five-match encounter on the second day.

The U.S. is the third-seeded staff within the event and in addition options world No. 3 Jessica Pegula and males’s No. 19 Frances Tiafoe.

DJOKOVIC: Novak Djokovic has reiterated his earlier feedback that he bears no laborious emotions on his return to Australia after his visa cancellation and subsequent deportation in January forward of the Australian Open tennis event.

Djokovic was deported virtually 12 months in the past after arriving unvaccinated towards COVID-19 at a time when the nation was nonetheless topic to strict quarantine laws and proof of vaccination.

These laws have since been lifted and in November, the Australian authorities overturned the three-year ban that got here with Djokovic’s deportation and granted him a visa to return for the Australian Open starting Jan. 16.

Djokovic arrived again in Australia on Tuesday forward of the Adelaide Worldwide, the place he’s scheduled to play subsequent week.

“It’s nice to be again in Australia,” he stated Thursday.

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