Mikaela Shiffrin and Breezy Johnson won the first-ever team combined event in World Alpine Skiing Championships history, breaking records for Shiffrin in the process. The American duo took the gold medal with a time of 2:40.89, ahead of Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami and Wendy Holdener.
Shiffrin, who returned from a two-month injury, tied her record for most world championships medals with 15, while Johnson won the downhill title last week. The team combined format features nations fielding pairs of one downhill skier and one slalom skier for each run.
The U.S. pairings were selected based on “data-driven criteria,” including season-best results. Shiffrin was initially hesitant to participate in the team combined, citing mental obstacles after a giant slalom crash last month. However, she eventually decided to enter the event with Johnson.
Shiffrin and Johnson have been racing together since they were 11 years old. Their success in the team combined is a testament to their training and teamwork. The U.S. pairings that didn’t make it to the podium placed fourth, tenth, and sixteenth respectively.
The win marks a significant milestone for Shiffrin and Johnson, who are expected to race together again on Saturday’s slalom event.
Source: https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/mikaela-shiffrin-breezy-johnson-team-combined-world-championships