Tensions emerged between U.S. skiing legends Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin during the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach, Austria. The disagreement arose when Shiffrin, recovering from an abdominal injury, decided to focus on her individual events—giant slalom and slalom—rather than compete in the team combined event alongside Vonn. Instead, Shiffrin partnered with reigning downhill world champion Breezy Johnson.
Vonn, who had hoped to team up with Shiffrin, was caught off guard upon learning of the decision through social media. She later expressed frustration over the lack of direct communication rather than the selection itself. Acknowledging Shiffrin and Johnson as the best choices for the event, Vonn admitted she reacted emotionally but later regretted how she handled the situation publicly.
Despite the controversy, Shiffrin and Johnson delivered a strong performance, winning gold in the team combined event. This victory marked Shiffrin’s 15th career world championship medal, tying the longstanding record set by German skier Christl Cranz in the 1930s.
Vonn, competing at 40, paired with AJ Hurt and finished 16th. Reflecting on the incident, she emphasized the importance of clear communication in individual sports with team-based events.
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