How To Beat Her Highness

Alice Robinson - Lenzerheide GS 21 March 2021

Run 2 - Full Tilt Boogie

For me, GS 2^nd run at Lenzerheide, 21 March 2021, is as good as Tech gets. Ski racing’s greatest competitor duking it out with two brilliant youngsters, one just nineteen. The run--and the race—pivoted on youthful heroics challenging masterful tactics. The Master split the difference.

    2020-21 was a trying season: Full Covid restrictions.

    Mikaela Shiffrin coped with Life without her dad, contesting Tech only—I figure due to grief, additional Covid exposure risk, and a balky back, making the big hill a bit much. (EOS SL 2^nd and GS 2^nd for Overall 4^th in an off year.) Federica Brignone, still tussling with Slalom for modest results as a 4-discipline warrior, fell off Downhill though took EOS SuperG 2^nd and Giant Slalom 5^th. Marta Bassino broke out with GS globe decisively over HH. Katy Liensberger ran a brilliant SL campaign for the title. And of course PETRA nailed Overall top spot, running four disciplines and winning the single Parallel event. Lara Gut-Behrami was right there EOS Overall 2^nd, with Michelle Gisin 3d.

    A few seconds at Lenzerheide, however, is what we’re examining now. I found the race on YT—not, alas, the USA feed I watched live, with Steve Porino’s homage to Miss Robinson’s transcendence. (One of televised sport’s great commentaries. On my WAWC podium, behind observations, in different contexts, by Keely Cashman and Lara Gut-Behrami.)

    My goal is to succinctly show what is required for a mortal, however talented, to triumph over a goddess.

    Let’s get into the weeds.

    Shiffrin finished the first run 0.10 ahead of Meta Hrovat and Marta (tied), with Alice next 0.77 behind. Gisin and Liensberger were in the hunt at 0.81 and 1.08.

    Robinson began her 2^nd run 0.62 ahead of Fede Brignone, who laid down a killer second heat from 7^th place to lead Bassino, Liensberger, and Gisin after their 2^nd runs.

    At the 1^st split Alice was up 0.99; dropped a smidge at the third but brought it home 1.29 over Fede, whose sincere respectful applause acknowledged superb skiing.

    Seven steep gates out of the start comprised the 2^nd run’s first sector/split time. To my eye, the 3d and 4^th gates are where Robinson began to put the race away. Let’s look at how.

Mikaela approaching/entering gate 3.

Alice approaching/entering gate 3.

Alice is committed, her right/turning ski already carving. She’s way low, hip nearly on the snow. Dynamic. Mikaela looks purposeful and safe; perhaps even tentative, but I figure it’s her tactical decision based upon pre-run inspection: this gate opens the track’s steepest section. Come in too hot and gate four’s approach may be scrub city. Her eye for the entire run, working sections within limits, perhaps even her practicality as boring as that sounds, is so key to Shiffrin’s success. Technical superiority, nearly always fully executed due to vast experience, sees her through in style. She doesn’t need to go ape shit.

    And Miss Robinson knows she must swing for the fence in order to win this race. So she does.

We continue through the turn.

Shiffrin mid-way through gate 3 entrance turn.

Robinson mid-way through gate 3 entrance turn.

We can see Alice is going faster than Mikaela. Her left ski is now on the snow, engaged in generating a speedy tight, clean arc. Alice’s posture/body language—admittedly a nebulous expression for me to use—really shows full commitment, confidence. Mikaela’s doing her thing, making the turn perhaps just as confidently/committed, and technically appropriate/sufficient.   

Mikaela exiting gate 3 entrance turn.

Alice exiting gate 3 entrance turn.

Again, Robinson's left ski is down first, making time.

Now she goes way off the scope.

Mikaela on the big pitch, between gates 3 and 4.

Alice on the big pitch, between gates 3 and 4.

This drove Porino, me, and I’m sure everyone else berserk during the live broadcast: Alice Robinson hell-for-leather—hip on the piste, holding tight full extension then launching into gate 4 over her skis with daring bravado. Looking nearly unhinged, she immediately hooked that big pitch exit speed into a strong clean rhythm and ripped to victory.

Mikaela Shiffrin entering gate 4.

Alice Robinson entering gate 4.

Way over her ski tips. Driving speed into the next 7/8ths of the track for top step.

As I parse the sector stats, Alice gained a half second on Mikaela the first split, with I bet her third-to-fourth gate bravado providing most of that. Specifically, she shaved 0.54 off Shiffrin’s 0.77 lead. Robinson then put another 0.51 between them to take HH by 1.05 on the second run…a 0.28 victory margin.

Marta Bassino, tied with Meta Hrovat for 2^nd fastest 1^st run, skied cautiously. Needing a decent finish to secure the GS title, she did. (7^th place) First things first. Excellent season: 4x1st; 3d; 4^th; 7^th; DNF. A demure star who I REALLY hope recovers from her broken leg and rips WAWC a few more years.

    I miss Meta. For I’m sure a good reason, she retired after 2022 season. Lenzerheide GS March 2022 was it. Flirted with recurrence 2023; no races. FWICT she’s totally cool. Athletically gifted, now finding her way elsewhere, at least formally. I’m sure Meta has solid prospects.

    Here she pushed off penultimately, with 0.67 to work with. Gained 0.05 first split, skied hard but got bumped around and came in +0.48 for third place.

Meta Hrovat on 2nd run; fastest first split by 0.05. Fnished third 0.48 behind Alice.

One of WAWC's most appealing young racers. Retired autumn 2022.

VERY best wishes to you, Meta!!

Meta Hrovat (3d), Alice Robinson (1st), Mikaela Shiffrin (3d). Lenzerheide GS - 21 March 2021

Remembering that seven million people died during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fully vaccinated, I still was infected. Felt shitty for a week and it was over, via Paxlovid. Not a big deal for me in context. Not at all...

May everyone's future improve.