Shiffrin spoils Vlhova's homecoming in Jasna

Mikaela Shiffrin picked up after the World Championships right where she left off, with a slalom victory in the Auid FIS women’s World Cup today in Jasna (SVK). It was the American’s 69th career World Cup victory.

Shiffrin, who sat in second place heading into the second run, played the role of spoiler for hometown hero Petra Vlhova, who is in a head-to-head epic battle for the Overall Globe against Speed Queen Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI). Gut currently leads Vlhova by 107 points.

Vlhova held the lead after the first run, and attacked the second run with all her power, but she couldn’t overcome Shiffrin’s smooth, nearly flawless, performance and finished 0.34 seconds behind.

Third place went to Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener, who picked up her 26th slalom podium, but still finds herself searching for her first elusive victory.

The World Championship darling, Austrian Katharina Liensberger, finished just out of podium range in fourth place, but with a huge time difference from the top-three 1.42 seconds behind.

It is sure to be an exciting last two weeks of the season as battle for globes, both big and small, are coming down to the wire. Vlhova is in pole position, with two slalom races in Are (SWE) next weekend. It will be a key chance for her to make up ground on Gut-Behrami. The weekend in Are will also be critical in the hunt for the slalom globe with Vlhova, Shiffrin and Linesberger all separated by a mere 70 points.

The Season Finals in Lenzerheide (SUI) will follow the Are weekend, with one race in each discipline on the schedule.

Until then, there is still a giant slalom to be raced in Jasna tomorrow, with the first run starting at 9:30.