IENZ, Austria (AP) — Reigning overall World Cup winner Petra Vlhova dominated a women’s World Cup slalom on Wednesday, gaining a big lead over Mikaela Shiffrin in the discipline standings.
In the last race of the calendar year, the Slovak skier retained her advantage in the first round, defeating World Champion Katharina Liensberger par.51 Seconds. The Austrian was allowed to walk only two days ago, after being quarantined to recover from a recent times infection.
“It feels good because it wasn’t easy today,” Vlhova said. “It was really difficult. We were so close (after the first race), a lot of girls.
The Swiss skier Michelle Gisin is done.68 behind third place, ahead of the Austrian Katharina Truppe, who climbed from 13th place after the best time of the second round.
Shiffrin had to leave the race after a positive test for recent times, which also forced the American to withdraw from the giant slalom on the same hill on Tuesday.
Vlhova has extended her lead over Shiffrin to 120 points after four of the nine slaloms planned this World Cup season. The American, who won the title in the slalom six times, remained at the top of the overall standings of the World Cup.
Vlhova and Shiffrin shared the top two spots in the last three slaloms this season, with the Slovakian winning twice in Levi, Finland, before the American won in Killington, Vermont.
“I have a lot of confidence in slalom at the moment,” said Vlhova, who won her 15th victory in the discipline and her 23rd overall.
This result marks the 50th podium in the career of the Slovak.
Vlhova won the overall title last year, having started all 31 races, but so far this season has reduced her schedule only to slalom and GS. She announced before the season that her main goal was to become the first Slovak skier to win a medal at the Beijing Olympics in February, instead of defending the overall title.
On Wednesday, Vlhova held only a small lead of.08 on Gisin after the opening race. In the absence of Shiffrin, the Slovak expected to be more ahead.
“Honestly, I might not have expected a really close race, but the conditions were perfect and the setting (of the goals) of the two rounds was not easy, but easier than the other races,” Vlhova said.
Leader of the Liensberger.27 Seconds after the first run, Vlhova lost more than two tenths after an intermediate mistake in her second run, but accelerated in the final section for a clear victory.
Liensberger was pleased with his first podium finish of the season after not found several days of practice because of his 40.
“I’m really very glad that it ended like this. I knew that I had to push, I gathered all my strength and continued to the finish, ” the Austrian said. “I only skied to have fun, and it will be good to return to 100% of my strength.”
From second to third place, Gisin did not take long to take the positive points. The Swiss skier suffered from glandular fever in the off-season and was still faced with the consequences of the health-issue.
“It was a difficult time, a dark valley. They feel that this never changes and something improves, “Gisin said. “That means a lot to me. I am very grateful for the improvement.”
No blowers were allowed at the event in the Lienz Dolomites under the anti-recent times measures in Austria.
The Women’s World Cup will continue with a night slalom in Zagreb on Tuesday. It was not known whether Shiffrin would be able to compete in the Croatian capital, where the American won four times.