SKIING

Mikaela Shiffrin made ski racing history once again on Thursday night at Semmering, Austria. This time, however, she wasn’t the only American skier doing so.

Shiffrin and teammate Paula Moltzan combined for the U.S. ski team’s first 1-2 finish in a women’s World Cup slalom since 1971. And Shiffrin’s win in the night race made her the first ski racer with 50 World Cup wins in a single discipline. No other skier, female or male, has won an event more than 46 times in the 56-year World Cup history.

The result also marked Shiffrin’s 80th World Cup win overall – two short of Lindsey Vonn’s women’s record.

“I honestly have no idea, I have no idea what to say about that,” Shiffrin said about her personal best marks. “But one thing that is easy to say: U.S. 1-2 in slalom, that is amazing. That is unbelievable.”

Moltzan achieved her career best with her parents watching from the stands.

“I obviously couldn’t be more proud of myself and the whole team, and even better to do it in front of my parents,” said Moltzan, who previously had a second-place finish in a parallel event two years ago.

Germany’s Lena Dürr was 0.34 behind in third, followed by Shiffrin’s biggest rivals in slalom, Petra Vlhová and Wendy Holdener, who were the only other racers within a second of the winning time.

Shiffrin can match her former teammate Vonn’s achievement of 82 World Cup wins next week, when two slaloms are scheduled in Zagreb, Croatia. Only Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark won more races than Vonn and Shiffrin, with 86.

MAYER RETIRES: Austrian skier Matthias Mayer, who won gold at three consecutive Olympics, announced his retirement with immediate effect Thursday.

Mayer surprisingly made the announcement shortly before a men’s World Cup super-G in an interview with Austrian TV after he returned from the course inspection and said he would not compete in the race.

“Last season was fantastic with the third Olympic gold medal and I have started well in the new season and I’m satisfied. But it’s enough,” said the 32-year-old Mayer, who had been set to start with bib No. 6. “I’ve done my last course inspection today and that’s it. I don’t have that fire anymore. The sport is very important for the people and it should go on, but for me it’s OK.”

Mayer won the Olympic downhill title in 2014 and super-G gold in 2018 and again in 2022, when he additionally earned bronze in downhill and overtook Austrian great Toni Sailer as the country’s most successful skier at the Olympics.

MEN’S WORLD CUP: Make it five wins in 12 starts for Marco Odermatt this season. The Swiss skier maintained his dazzling form in the last World Cup race of 2022 by dominating a super-G on one of the tour’s toughest courses.

Odermatt looked impressed after crossing the finish line and seeing his lead at that time: 2.26 seconds. Later, Vincent Kriechmayr came closest as he finished 0.64 behind Odermatt in second, a day after the world super-G champion from Austria had won the classic downhill at the same venue.

Odermatt’s Swiss teammate Loic Meillard was 1.22 back in third for his 11th career World Cup podium but first in super-G.

SOCCER

MBAPPÉ: Kylian Mbappé may always be haunted by France’s loss in the World Cup final, but says he bears no bitterness over the way Argentina celebrated and won’t let the defeat hold him back with Paris Saint-Germain.

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has been criticized for the excessive tone of his celebrations. He carried a doll with Mbappé’s face on it while standing alongside teammate Lionel Messi as Argentina paraded the trophy back home. Martinez, who also made a crude gesture after winning the Golden Glove award for best goalkeeper, was filmed mocking Mbappé in the team dressing room after the game.

“Those celebrations aren’t my problem. You shouldn’t waste energy on such futile things,” Mbappé said after PSG’s win against Strasbourg on Wednesday night. “The most important thing is to give my best for the club.”

Mbappé became only the second player to score a hat trick in a World Cup final but ended up on the losing side as Messi’s Argentina won a tense penalty shootout following a wild 3-3 draw on Dec. 18.

TENNIS

UNITED CUP: Taylor Fritz and Madison Keys gave the United States a 2-0 lead over Czech Republic at the new United Cup mixed teams tournament on Thursday in Sydney.

Fritz broke Jiri Lehecka’s serve in the ninth game of the second set and went on to beat the Czech player 6-3, 6-4. Keys followed that up with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Marie Bouzkova in the next Group C match at Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney.

Two singles matches – one men’s and one women’s – will be played over each of two days, with a mixed doubles to conclude the five-match encounter on the second day.

The U.S. is the third-seeded team in the tournament and also features world No. 3 Jessica Pegula and men’s No. 19 Frances Tiafoe.

DJOKOVIC: Novak Djokovic has reiterated his earlier comments that he bears no hard feelings on his return to Australia after his visa cancellation and subsequent deportation in January ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament.

Djokovic was deported almost 12 months ago after arriving unvaccinated against COVID-19 at a time when the country was still subject to strict quarantine regulations and proof of vaccination.

Those regulations have since been lifted and in November, the Australian government overturned the three-year ban that came with Djokovic’s deportation and granted him a visa to return for the Australian Open beginning Jan. 16.

Djokovic arrived back in Australia on Tuesday ahead of the Adelaide International, where he is scheduled to play next week.

“It’s great to be back in Australia,” he said Thursday.

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