Brilliant Mikaela Shiffrin secures 68th World Cup win to move ahead of Marcel Hirscher

Mikaela Shiffrin returned to type on Tuesday night as she beat residence favorite Katharina Liensberger for her 68th World Cup win, and her first slalom victory of the season.

Shiffrin has struggled at occasions this season each as a result of damage and rustiness after a lot time away from snowboarding.

She picked up a win within the Large Slalom at Courchevel however has needed to watch her rival Petra Vlhova dominate the slalom scene.

However after main from the primary run Shiffrin put in a incredible efficiency to beat out Liensberger, who appeared as if she may need given the Austrian girls’s staff their first win at Flachau.

Shiffrin now strikes on to 68 World Cup wins, forward of the legendary Marcel Hirscher and behind solely compatriot Lindsey Vonn and Swedish nice Ingemar Stenmark.

In some ways the day appeared as if it is perhaps concerning the Swiss staff because the preliminary chief out of the gates within the second run was 22-year-old Melanie Mellaird.

To not be outdone, 21-year-old Camille Rast, who began 57th within the first run, then surprised the pack as she took the lead going into the highest 10 earlier than she was ultimately ousted by compatriot Michelle Gisin.

Gisin put in a storming run, and the unity inside the Swiss staff was clear as Rast celebrated emphatically within the winner’s chair.

Gisin then had Rast subsequent to her whereas she waited for the final riders to come back down the course however her stint didn’t final lengthy as Liensberger thrilled the Austrian crowd with a blistering run.

It appeared as if World Cup chief Vlhova may catch the Austrian however a few unhealthy errors caught the defending champion out on this course.

These errors opened the door for Rast and Gisin’s team-mate Wendy Holdener to spherical off the rostrum, her twenty fifth podium and not using a World Cup victory.

It is a monumental win for Shiffrin, make no mistake about it.

Gisin may need damaged the Shiffrin-Vlhova stranglehold on slalom racing a few weeks in the past however they’re nonetheless very a lot the 2 to beat.

Shiffrin has needed to watch her Slovakian rival dominate the slalom however this was Shiffrin again to her greatest.

This was the final slalom earlier than the World Championships in February and it’ll do Shiffrin the world of excellent to be going to Italy subsequent month on the again of a win.