Shiffrin skis out of tricky super-G in World Cup combined

Mikaela Shiffrin skied out of a World Cup combined event on Sunday in her first failure to finish a race in almost two years.

A tricky opening super-G run in Austria saw nine of the first 22 racers — including three current Olympic champions and the downhill world champion — unable to complete the course. Federica Brignone had the fastest time.

Shiffrin slid out on her left hip when struggling to make a sharp turn needing to put pressure on the icy snow with her right ski. Seconds earlier, the bumpy surface knocked her right ski off line and forced her upright to regain balance.

The American star appeared unhurt and stood by the course for a moment reflecting on her unsettling race exit.

The last time Shiffrin did not finish a race was a World Cup slalom in January 2018 at Lenzerheide, Switzerland.

Shiffrin’s closest challenger in the World Cup standings, Petra Vlhova lost a ski on a bumpy turn and crashed out. She skied down to the finish seemingly unhurt.

The Olympic and world champions in downhill, Sofia Goggia and Ilka Stuhec, also went out midway down the course.

Michelle Gisin, who edged Shiffrin for the 2018 Olympic title in combined, missed a gate. Gisin was third in Saturday’s downhill, which Shiffrin skipped, at Altenmarkt when visibility was much poorer than the clear skies for Sunday’s race.

Super-G can be more unpredictable than downhill because racers don't practice on the course. They just have a close-up look at the gate setting in an early-morning inspection.

Brignone was 0.22 seconds faster than her Italian teammate Marta Bassino. Wendy Holdener, the world champion in combined, was third with 0.50 to make up in the afternoon slalom run.