Shiffrin has a record 22 career World Cup wins in giant slalom, plus gold medals at the 2018 Olympics and 2023 worlds, yet raced cautiously Saturday and wore an expression of resignation on seeing her time.
Shiffrin had finished 25th in Brignone’s victory Friday in her first giant slalom since suffering severe trauma to her oblique muscles and a deep puncture wound during a GS crash in Killington, Vermont in November when she was within sight of a 100th career win.
The previous race that Shiffrin completed a first run in slalom or giant slalom outside the top-30 times was in October 2012 at the season-opening GS at Soelden, Austria.
In just her second GS race Saturday three months after a serious crash, Shiffrin did not qualify for a second run for the first time since 2012 by placing outside the top 30.
Shiffrin’s lack of recent racing meant on Saturday the bib number 15 she wore was the highest in a World Cup giant slalom for more than eight years.
