Defending World Cup champion Petra Vlhova skipping World Cup speed races to focus on Olympic slalom duel

Mikaela Shiffrin’s largest rival appears to be going all out to problem the American on the Beijing Olympics, even when meaning sacrificing her general World Cup title.

Petra Vlhova says she’s sticking to her plan of skipping a lot of the World Cup velocity races this season so as to maximise her probabilities of successful Olympic gold within the technical occasions.

“That is our plan, and we are going to preserve (it) like this,” the Slovenian instructed reporters this week in a video convention name.

Vlhova received her first general World Cup title final yr after competing in each race throughout all disciplines. Her altered technique this yr makes Shiffrin a fair larger 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, successful two of the three World Cup races within the self-discipline this season. Shiffrin received 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, nevertheless it’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 large slalom and received the slalom gold in Sochi in 2014 as an 18-year-old. The American additionally received 4 straight world championship gold medals in slalom between 2013-2019, earlier than ending third final yr.

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

“Possibly final season the objective was the general, this yr the primary objective 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 velocity 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 general lead within the World Cup standings.

Shiffrin leads velocity 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 velocity occasions, that massive crystal globe already seems nearly inside attain for Shiffrin. An Olympic gold could show more durable to come back by, if the Slovakian’s technique works out as deliberate.

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