Shiffrin back on top in slalom

Under the lights in Flachau, Mikaela Shiffrin got back to her winning ways in slalom claimed the victory in the mid-week Audi FIS World Cup race. It was her first win in the slalom since December 2019 in Lienz.

“)It felt inspired,” said Shiffrin after the race as she commented on how much it meant to her to get back to her winning form after the tragic loss of her father at the end of last season.

It was a razor-thin margin that separated the top four after the first run. Shiffrin sled a 0.08 advantage over Swiss Wendy Holdener, while Petra Vlhova sat closely behind, 0.14 seconds, in third place.

Shiffrin ended up gaining on her first run advantage , but only marginally, claiming the victory over Katharina Liensberger by 0.14 seconds. It was the third straight second place finish for the Austrian, who has been consistent since the start of the new year.

Still searching for the elusive victory in the slalom was Wendy Holdener, who has 25 podiums in the slalom and still no victory. She finished in third place 0.49 seconds off the pace.  Vlhova had to settle out of podium range in fourth place, but still leads the slalom season standings.

This weekend the tour moves to Kranjska Gora (SLO) for two giant slaloms before the speed racers take center stage in Crans Montana the following weekend.