Vlhova is a few centimeters closer to the lead in the overall standings of the World Cup, after Shiffrin crashed in Slovenia
Petra Vlhova consolidated her status as the leading slalom skier of the season with her fifth victory in six races on Sunday, just a month before the Beijing Olympics.
Defender of the World Cup standings from Slovakia won the penultimate slalom before the Games, as the leader in the first run Wendy Holdener from Switzerland refused the first victory of her career.
Mikaela Shiffrin was third after the introductory run in Kranjska Gora in Slovenia, but she skied in an extremely fast second run until the American stepped in the door.
It was the first time in almost four years that Shiffrin failed to finish the slalom. In January 2018, she skied on the second run of the race in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, the last slalom before the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang.
Shiffrin defeated Vlhova in November and won the home race in Killington, Vermont, but all other slaloms this season went the way of Slovakia.
“I always try to be the best, the fastest in the race. I’m especially happy with the second run,” said Vlhova.
SEE | Vlhova achieved the fastest time of the 2nd run to victory:
Shiffrin wanted to set a new record in each discipline, where she equaled 46 giant slalom victories with former Swedish giant Ingemar Stenmark. But her hopes were dashed as she stepped through the door.
For the first time in almost four years, yes @MikaelaShiffrin failed to finish slalom …. 🤯#fisalpine pic.twitter.com/f9w5g5jFi4
Stenmark set his own record on the men’s tour between 1974 and 1989.
Vlhova was 8-100 seconds behind Holdener and had the fastest time in the second run to put pressure on the leading Swiss as the final start.
‘Another great day’
In her 100th slalom of her career, Holdener retained the lead in the first half of her run, but in the end she was 0.23 behind Vlhova, who achieved a time of two runs of 1: 44.29. Sweden’s Anna Swenn Larsson was third with 1.06 (1: 44.52).
I am proud of how everyone is supported and encouraged, and so I am incredibly excited to see this depth in Canada.– Canadian alpine veteran Erin Mielzynski
In sixth place was Toronto’s best Canadian Ali Nullmeyer, who stopped the clock at 1: 46.44, followed by Erin Mielzynski of Collingwood, Ont., In ninth (1: 46.92).
“Today was another great day and I’m really excited to be in the top 10 again,” Nullmeyer, who finished fifth at the start of the week in Zagreb, Croatia, told Alpine Canada. “It was so great to have all the girls in today and Amelia really crashed in her first run.”
“Right now, I’m really very proud of this team,” Mielzynski added. “I’m proud of the team’s effort, of how everyone supports and encourages each other, and so I’m incredibly excited to see that depth in Canada.
“This weekend we had three girls in the top 10, four in the top 15 and six in the top 30. Today we had three [slalom] the girls in the top 13 and that’s incredibly special; it’s been a while since that happened. “
SEE | Nullmeyer, Mielzynski city in the top 10:
Teammates Amelia Smart and Laurence St-Germain were 13th and 22nd out of 28. Smart started with a bib 33 and heavily attacked the first run on the way to announce her best career finish.
“My first run was solid and smooth,” Smart said. “When I went down, the track was a bit broken, but it was a great run nonetheless.”
Teammate Amelia Smart started with bib 33 and strongly attacked the first run, finishing 7th before the turnaround and second in 13th overall for the best goal of her career.
‘In the second run I did everything perfectly’
“My first run was solid and smooth,” Amelia says. “When I went down, the track was a bit broken, but it was a great run nonetheless.”
Vlhova described the race as a “big battle” after criticizing the situation on the track after days of snow in a Slovenian resort.
“I was a little angry this morning because when I saw the situation, it wasn’t like it was perfect, not like a World Cup match,” Vlhova said.
“I did everything perfect in the second run. There’s another win in the end, so I’m happy because my team is doing everything to keep me in perfect shape.”
It was the Slovak’s 25th career victory. He leads in the discipline rankings with a whopping 240 points from second-placed Shiffrin. The American remained in the overall lead with a 35-point advantage over Vlhova.
In her second run in the World Cup and slalom, Austria’s Katharina Liensberger also took the door.
Spectators were not allowed to attend the event, which was moved from another Slovenian resort, Maribor, due to a lack of snow.
The next race is the night slalom in Schladming, Austria on Tuesday at an event that moved from Flachau, which was recently hit by a rise in coronavirus infections.