Mikaela Shiffrin second to rival Petra Vhlova at at Zagreb World Cup slalom

At this level, Petra Vlhova would possibly deserve the patent to Pat Riley’s trademarked “three-peat” phrase much more than the NBA icon.

On Tuesday night time, Vlhova claimed the Snow Queen Trophy on the Zagreb World Cup for a 3rd straight season. The Slovakian continued her current slalom dominance, profitable underneath the lights in Croatia by 0.50 seconds over Mikaela Shiffrin. Defending slalom crystal globe winner Katharina Liensberger (+2.11) rounded out the rostrum.

“You recognize I really feel good; I really feel a giant confidence,” Vlhova informed FIS reporters after the race. “Sure, it’s not simple profitable (three) in a row as a result of there’s quite a lot of strain from the surface, however I’m grateful to have one huge bubble round me and simply to be having fun with snowboarding and snowboarding like I do know. I’m so, so pleased.”

With the win, Vlhova prolonged her slalom lead for the 2021-2022 season, having gained 4 of the 5 races to date this season. She has 480 factors, with Shiffrin (340) and Liensberger (262) in second and third. The one time the Slovakian has not completed atop the rostrum this season was when she was second behind Shiffrin in Killington, Vermont, Nov. 28. She’s gained the final two slaloms this season after her victory in Lienz, Austria, which means she may get one other “three-peat” if she wins on Jan. 8 in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, the subsequent cease on the World Cup.

When requested how she mentally approached the strain of defending her title and persevering with her slalom superiority, she mentioned, “In my thoughts was simply to deal with my snowboarding — to ski clear out of the gate as a result of I knew quite a lot of women had issues. So, (the) important purpose for me was to be over on the gate and let (my) skis go.”

“Nothing particular; in fact, it was actually powerful as a result of the situations weren’t so good and Zagreb is basically lengthy, so whenever you enter the final pitch, you begin to really feel it.”

Zagreb was her sixteenth profession slalom victory, breaking a tie with Perrine Pelen for seventh on the all-time record. Vlhova has been dominant within the occasion since 2020, having gained 10 of the final 16 slalom occasions. Shiffrin (3), Katharina Liensberger (2), and Michelle Gisin (1), are the opposite winners in that point interval.

Shiffrin should wait till the weekend for one more likelihood at eclipsing Ingemar Stenmark’s document for essentially the most World Cup wins in a single occasion (46). The American had gained the Zagreb slalom in 2013, 2015, 2018, and 2019 and has completed on the rostrum an unimaginable 52 occasions in her final 56 participations within the self-discipline. Contemplating her circumstances going into Tuesday’s occasion, there have been good causes for her to stay constructive.

“I knew it was going to be powerful right this moment after 10 days in a room and never having the ability to do any form of bodily train,” she informed U.S. Ski and Snowboard’s Courtney Harkins.

“I misplaced a few of this vitality to push, however right this moment confirmed me I didn’t lose an excessive amount of. It’s one thing I can get again and I’ll do my finest to get that again over the subsequent weeks. It was fairly a constructive day. I like racing in Zagreb, even when I’m not profitable, I simply find it irresistible right here. I actually admire that I used to be capable of come again for this race.”

The World Cup strikes to Slovakia for a slalom and large slalom on Jan. 8-9 in Kranjska Gora.