American ski star Mikaela Shiffrin dominated the primary ladies’s World Cup slalom of the season Saturday for her record-extending 98th profession win.
Shiffrin constructed on a giant first-run lead with an aggressive but managed second run down the Levi Black course to beat 2021 slalom world champion Katharina Liensberger of Austria by 0.79sec.
Lena Duerr of Germany dropped from second to 3rd, 0.83 behind Shiffrin, and was the final skier to complete lower than a second off the lead.
“Superb technique to begin the slalom season, I’m tremendous joyful,” Shiffrin stated.
The 2-time Olympic champion additionally led the season-opening big slalom in Austria three weeks in the past, however squandered that benefit within the second run to complete fifth.
On Saturday, Shiffrin initially prolonged her lead to an enormous 1.25sec early in her remaining run earlier than shedding just a few tenths.
“I used to be getting twisted generally, however then hold preventing. Not the right tempo, however sufficient actually good turns that it really works very well. In the long run, a very strong run in circumstances not really easy,” she stated.
Shiffrin received each slaloms on the finish of final season after her return from a knee damage following a downhill crash in January, clinching her eighth World Cup season title within the self-discipline.
She has now received 61 slaloms and 98 races general – each are World Cup information throughout genders.
Shiffrin has triumphed a document eight occasions within the conventional season-opening slalom in Finnish Lapland, the place the winner is given a reindeer as a prize.
After the primary run, Shiffrin stated she “felt good.”
“I felt sturdy and strong and good power. Little bit nervous, like first race, first slalom of the season, so I’m pleased with how I managed the mentality and pushed with my snowboarding,” she stated.
Croatian prodigy Zrinka Ljutic who was third after the opening run, misplaced three spots.
Shiffrin’s teammate Paula Moltzan went from fifth to eighth place.
Within the opening run, Moltzan was 0.05sec sooner than Shiffrin on the flat opening part of the course however misplaced time going into the steep half and in the end trailed by 0.90. Within the second run, Moltzan posted the Seventeenth-fastest time and ended 1.51 behind Shiffrin.
Olympic champion Petra Vlhova, Shiffrin’s greatest rival in slalom, sat out the race because the Slovakian wanted extra to time to recuperate from knee surgical procedure final season.
American standout Lindsey Vonn, who this week introduced her return to the U.S. ski staff greater than 5 years after her retirement, was anticipated to race once more at velocity occasions later this season.
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