'Your future is bright': Shiffrin praises Aicher after tight duel
Germany's Emma Aicher competes in the 1st round of the women's Giant Slalom race of the FIS Alpin Ski World Cup finals in Kvitfjell. Cornelius Poppe/NTB/dpa Germany's Emma Aicher is looking forward to the off-season after establishing herself in the skiing elite for good and challenging Mikaela Shiffrin for the overall World Cup title until the very last race. "It is nice to get out of this ski bubble for a bit," Aicher said after Wednesday's finale of a long campaign at the Norwegian venue of Hafjell.
Shiffrin won a women's record-tying sixth overall title 87 points ahead of Aicher and then heaped praise on her young rival. Shiffrin leads praise on Aicher "Emma, it was SUCH an honor to 'battle' with you. Your skiing, energy, and personality are so inspiring.
Your future is bright. I can’t wait to watch (and continue to compete against you ... for a bit longer at least)," Shiffrin said on Instagram.
While Shiffrin, who recently turned 31, continued to rewrite the record books with now 110 career wins and a ninth slalom World Cup title, allrounder Aicher is seen as the future in the sport at age 22. Three victories and 10 podiums across three disciplines, second place in the overall and downhill standings, third in super-g, plus a pair of Olympic silver medals, show how much the youngster has improved. "It's the goal, I want to be at the top in all of them and so it was a bit surprising for me as well, but then also it is the goal.
I'm surprised, but then also not surprised, because I know that somewhere in me I have it," Aicher said about her season. Comparing the two Aicher competed in almost every race as she garnered her 1,323 points acrosss all four disciplines, from 453 in downhill to 135 in giant slalom, the only discipline where she is yet to climb the podium with fourth her best. Two of her three season wins came in super-g but she also went out in three races in the discipline, and the Olympic one as well.