Mikaela Shiffrin (left) and Federica Brignone. © AFP / MARCO BERTORELLO

Violent statements against Shiffrin: Brignone causes a stir

These statements are causing a stir in the World Cup circus: Federica Brignone couldn't resist taking a dig at Mikaela Shiffrin after the season.

March 25, 2024

From: det

The World Cup season ended last weekend. The shining winner is without a doubt Lara Gut-Behrami. The Swiss not only grabbed the small crystal balls in the giant slalom and super-G, but also crowned herself queen of the ski world with her second overall World Cup victory.

The Ticino native also benefited from the long absence of Mikaela Shiffrin, who was unable to compete in a race between January 26th and March 10th due to a knee injury. Before her fateful crash in Cortina d'Ampezzo, the American had a lead of more than 400 points at the top of the overall standings, and in the final ranking she is more than 300 points behind Gut-Behrami.

Federica Brignone finished the World Cup in second place. © ANSA / GIAN EHRENZELLER

Now second place in the World Cup, Federica Brignone, is causing discussions in the ski world with her statements. She accuses Shiffrin of not having used her last resources to fight for her sixth big crystal ball. The bone of contention is the races in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee (two Super-Gs, one downhill), which Shiffrin skipped at the beginning of January. “I think Lara would have given her a lot of competition, and she probably would have won either way,” says Brignone Repubblica.it cited.

“At the moment when Shiffrin should have competed, she didn’t compete. She couldn't afford to miss any races this winter and I think she almost gave up to avoid fighting Lara. I am convinced that it would have been difficult for Mikaela to win this year,” said Brignone’s harsh words, which are likely to cause quite a stir in the ski scene.