American ski star Mikaela Shiffrin emerged victorious in an exhilarating night race at the women's World Cup held in Flachau, Austria. Shiffrin, known for her impressive slalom skills, engaged in a thrilling duel with Slovakian skier Petra Vlhova throughout the event. Trailing Vlhova by a mere 0.07 seconds after the first run, Shiffrin showcased her resilience by posting the second-fastest time in the final run, ultimately securing a 0.27-second lead and claiming her 94th career win.
The night race marked a significant milestone for Swedish skier Sara Hector as well, as she stood on the podium for the first time in her slalom career, finishing in third place 1.11 seconds behind Shiffrin. The event held great emotional significance for Shiffrin, who had faced considerable challenges in recent days. Just nine days prior, she was unable to complete a previous slalom race due to illness. Additionally, Shiffrin had visited her partner, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, in a Swiss hospital following his crash in a downhill event. Overwhelmed with emotions, Shiffrin expressed her gratitude towards her team for their support during these trying times.
The course for the final showdown was set by Magnus Andersson, the head coach of the U.S. women's tech team. Although Shiffrin encountered a mistake early on in her run, she managed to gain time on her competitors in the remaining sections, increasing the pressure on first-run leader Vlhova. While the Slovakian initially held her ground, she faced challenges in the middle part of the course, struggling with some turns and even being slightly hindered by a broken gate that rolled down the slope after she had passed it.
Reflecting on her run, Vlhova acknowledged her mistakes and highlighted the need for a flawless performance when competing against a formidable opponent like Shiffrin. Despite her efforts, she could not match Shiffrin's performance in the end. Shiffrin, having successfully recovered from her illness and choosing to skip a three-race speed event in Altenmark-Zauchensee, felt physically prepared for the race. However, her mental state was affected by Kilde's crash, which resulted in a dislocated shoulder and a calf injury for the Norwegian skier.
In the first run, set by Swedish team coach Manuel Gamper, both Shiffrin and Vlhova demonstrated aggressive skiing, establishing a significant lead over the rest of the field. Vlhova excelled in the middle part of the floodlit Griessenkar course, while Shiffrin remained strong throughout, aware that only a specific run could surpass Vlhova's performance.
With this win, Shiffrin now has four victories in slalom this season, while Vlhova has claimed three out of the seven slalom races held so far. Shiffrin leads Vlhova by 25 points in the discipline standings, showcasing the intensity of their ongoing rivalry. Shiffrin's teammates also made notable efforts in the race, with AJ Hurt posting impressive times but unfortunately skiing out during her second run. Paula Moltzan, the fastest starter in the first run, suffered an awkward crash but fortunately avoided injuries.
The race witnessed surprising performances from lower-ranked skiers, such as Dzenifera Germane of Latvia, who started 50th and finished in eighth place, and Lara Colturi, an Italian-born skier competing for Albania. Colturi, wearing bib number 60, managed to secure a commendable ninth-place finish.
The women's World Cup will continue with a giant slalom and slalom event scheduled for the upcoming weekend in Jasna, Slovakia, near Vlhova's hometown. The competition promises to provide another thrilling chapter in the ongoing battle between Shiffrin and Vlhova as they vie for dominance in the slalom discipline.
