Liensberger wins Are slalom; Shiffrin left chasing record

Austria’s newly topped world champion Katharina Liensberger on Saturday received the second World Cup slalom in Are, Switzerland, after Mikaela Shiffrin made a expensive error in her bid for a record-equaling self-discipline victory.

Liensberger, who upstaged Shiffrin and general girls’s World Cup chief Petra Vlhova on the Cortina world championships final month, timed a mixed whole of 1 minute, 47.93 seconds over the 2 runs for her maiden win on the circuit.

“It’s wonderful. I’m tremendous proud. It was actually my day in the present day,” mentioned the 23-year-old Liensberger, who had 9 earlier podium finishes. “I simply needed to ski as I do know I can and simply get the sensation by the gates, simply put my power into it and fly from the begin to the end line.”

Photograph: Reuters

Shiffrin, who was quickest down the primary leg as she celebrated her twenty sixth birthday on Saturday, was second at 0.72 seconds off the lead, her forty seventh podium end (36 wins) in her previous 51 slalom begins.

Nevertheless, it was nonetheless not the elusive victory that might have seen the American declare a forty sixth World Cup slalom win to equal the document of most World Cup wins in a single self-discipline, by Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark within the large slalom.

“I used to be pushing, however Liensberger was simply on one other degree,” Shiffrin mentioned. “Two days, two podiums, some good combating — it’s been a pleasant weekend.”

Shiffrin rebounded from a very long time off the slopes following the sudden demise of her father Jeff final yr to win 4 world medals in Cortina final month, changing into the US skier with essentially the most world titles (six) and world medals (11).

“For me the final yr and couple of months, it’s simply attempting to maintain my head above water,” she added. “On paper, it’s my least profitable season, but it surely’s nonetheless been fairly unbelievable. There have been some wonderful races and plenty of success. I could be proud of that — however not completely glad.”

Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener was third, at 0.72 second, because the race for the slalom’s small crystal globe heated up: Liensberger, on 590, is now simply 22 factors behind Vlhova, with Shiffrin third on 575, adopted by Michelle Gisin (431) and Holdener (415).

Liensberger, beginning with a 0.73 second benefit, piled on the strain, turning that right into a 1.65 second lead, with simply Shiffrin to race.

Shiffrin kicked out of the beginning hut 0.19 second up on the Austrian, however a mistake midway down the course value her dearly and he or she crossed the road in second place.