American skiing sensation Mikaela Shiffrin showcased her prowess in a World Cup slalom event on her home turf in Colorado, maintaining a flawless record in the discipline for the Olympic season. Shiffrin secured her fourth consecutive slalom victory, adding to her prior wins this season and the previous year’s final event. This remarkable achievement marked Shiffrin’s 104th World Cup triumph and her 67th in slalom, setting new records in the discipline.
Braving moderate snowfall, Shiffrin widened her lead from the first run and clinched victory with a commanding 1.57-second lead over Lena Duerr of Germany, who advanced from ninth place after the initial leg. Fans at Copper Mountain, just a short distance from Shiffrin’s hometown of Edwards, Colorado, showed their support with signs cheering her on during the event.
Despite a significant error early in her second run, teenager Lara Colturi of Albania surged from fourth place to claim third, trailing by 1.85 seconds. Wendy Holdener finished fourth, with Anna Swenn Larsson rounding out the top five. Notably, this triumph marked Shiffrin’s first win in Colorado in over a decade, with a total of 12 of her World Cup victories achieved in the U.S.
Shiffrin’s dominance in slalom extends to her victory at the 2015 world championships in Vail-Beaver Creek, Colorado. This season marks the fourth occasion in her career where she has won the first three slalom races. Looking ahead, Shiffrin is anticipated to shine at the upcoming Milan Cortina Olympics, where women’s Alpine skiing events will be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
In a display of emotion, Shiffrin was moved to tears as she watched her fiancée, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, make a remarkable return to racing after a two-year hiatus due to severe injuries. Following her success in Colorado, Shiffrin is set to compete in two giant slalom races in Tremblant, Quebec, before heading back to Europe for the remainder of the season.