Mikaela Shiffrin’s rival Petra Vlhova skipping World Cup speed races to focus on Olympic slalom duel

Mikaela Shiffrin’s greatest rival appears to be going all out to problem the American on the Beijing Olympics, even when which means sacrificing her total World Cup title.

Petra Vlhova says she’s sticking to her plan of skipping a lot of the World Cup pace races this season with a view to maximise her probabilities of profitable Olympic gold within the technical occasions.

“That is our plan, and we’ll hold (it) like this,” the Slovenian advised reporters this week in a video convention name.

Vlhova gained her first total World Cup title final 12 months after competing in each race throughout all disciplines. Her altered technique this 12 months makes Shiffrin a fair greater favorite to win her fourth crystal globe as the general World Cup champion – and places the highlight on a mouthwatering duel between the 2 in Beijing.

Vlhova has emerged as the one skier who can problem Shiffrin’s domination in slalom, profitable two of the three World Cup races within the self-discipline this season. Shiffrin gained the third, and the pair has completed 1-2 in all three.

Each are additionally among the many favourites for the large slalom gold on the Olympics, but it surely’s the slalom race particularly that’s shaping up as one of many must-see duels of the Beijing video games.

Shiffrin is the defending Olympic champion in big slalom and gained the slalom gold in Sochi in 2014 as an 18-year-old. The American additionally gained 4 straight world championship gold medals in slalom between 2013-2019, earlier than ending third final 12 months.

Vlhova has one world championship title in big slalom however has by no means gained an Olympic medal. Going into Beijing, she’s decided to alter that.

“Possibly final season the purpose was the general, this 12 months the primary purpose goes to be the Olympic Video games,” Vlhova mentioned earlier than the season began.

Shiffrin, in the meantime, is taking considerably of an reverse method.

Shiffrin is backing up these phrases by competing within the World Cup pace occasions this season after taking a break from them beforehand. And the American secured two third-place finishes in Tremendous-G races in St. Moritz this previous weekend to increase her total lead within the World Cup standings.

Shiffrin leads pace specialist Sofia Goggia by 90 factors, with Vlhova one other 95 factors behind in third place. And with Vlhova persevering with to sit down out the pace occasions, that large crystal globe already appears to be like nearly inside attain for Shiffrin. An Olympic gold could show tougher to return by, if the Slovakian’s technique works out as deliberate.

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