Maria Shkanova’s winning giant slalom technique has brought her bronze, with results of 54.09 seconds and 54.08 seconds, giving a total of 1 minute 48.17 seconds: 0.43 seconds behind gold medallist French Lucie Piccard. Silver went to Clara Direz, also of France (+0.35 seconds). More than 100 athletes from Germany, Italy, Slovakia, France and Switzerland took part in the competition.
The Val Thorens event is among the first for Maria this season and her medal is commendable, for having been won against strong competitors. Already an expert in high-speed mountain skiing, she has now proven her ability to compete in technical disciplines. Maria took part in the winter Olympic Games-2014 in Sochi, and, in early December, took part in the FIS series, held in Swiss Zinal; in the giant slalom, she took 7th and 14th places.
The 2015 World Winter Universiade is scheduled for February, and will be the main start of the season for Maria, who will be joined by fellow Sochi Games athlete Yuri Danilochkin, and young Daniil Chertin, trained at the Mogilev School of Mountain Skiing.
By Igor Grishin
