World Cup 2021 - Mikaela Shiffrin wins in Slovakia to close on Petra Vlhova in slalom standings

ByJames Walker-Roberts

Updated 06/03/2021 at 15:27 GMT

Mikaela Shiffrin closed the gap on Petra Vlhova at the top of the World Cup slalom standings with victory in Slovakia. The American's 45th World Cup win sees her move 45 points behind Vlhova in the season standings. Vincent Kriechmayr won the men's downhill Alpine Ski World Cup race in Saalbach, Austria.

Mikaela Shiffrin produced an excellent second run to claim her 45th Alpine Ski World Cup slalom win in Jasna, Slovakia.

The American pipped home favourite Petra Vlhova to victory, with Wendy Holdener in third.

Shiffrin trailed Vlhova by 0.27 seconds after the first run but was flawless the next time down as she won the event by 0.34s.

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"That was a really big step," Shiffrin told FIS. "I kept pushing and that's the feeling I want to have. Today it was good enough to win, sometimes it's not, but that's the feeling, that's the fight.

"I felt it after my run even before Petra came down. I didn't know what she was going to do and maybe she can do something greater, but it was a really good fight for me and that's a pretty nice feeling to have now."

The win is Shiffrin’s second consecutive World Cup slalom victory and moves her 45 points behind Vlhova in the season standings.

'What a performance' - Kriechmayr storms to victory in Saalbach

There are three races remaining with the race winner getting 100 points and second place 80 points. Lara Gut-Behrami leads the overall alpine skiing standings on 1227 points, 107 clear of Vlhova.

The victory also takes Shiffrin to within one of Ingemar Stenmark's 46 wins in the giant slalom.

Vincent Kriechmayr won the men's downhill Alpine Ski World Cup race in Saalbach, Austria.

The Austrian finished in 1.53:07 minutes to claim his first World Cup downhill win of the season.

Switzerland's Beat Feuz was second ahead of Austrian Matthias Mayer.

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