Mikaela Shiffrin secured her second World Cup victory of the season in a commanding performance during the women’s slalom in Killington on Sunday.
The 28-year-old American, a five-time overall World Cup champion, triumphed over her Slovakian competitor Petra Vlhova and Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener to secure her 90th career win, extending her record.
Shiffrin, who surpassed Ingemar Stenmark’s world circuit wins record last season (86), seems on an unstoppable path toward reaching the century mark.
Competing before her home crowd and a day after finishing third in the giant slalom, Shiffrin led after the initial run. She maintained her pace on the second run, edging out Vlhova by 0.33 seconds.
This victory follows her earlier win in a slalom event in Levi, Finland, two weeks ago.
“The track is amazing. The support from the crowd here is fantastic; they’re so enthusiastic. I can hear them cheering at every checkpoint,” Shiffrin expressed to NBC. “Each time I pass one, the noise gets louder, and I’m thinking, ‘Oh boy, I’m not sure if I’m ahead or behind, but I have to keep pushing.’ It’s incredible to ski with that kind of energy.”
Shiffrin faced a challenging start to the season after sustaining a bone bruise in her left knee during a training accident in October, resulting in a significant loss of training time.
She finished fourth in the first slalom won by Vlhova in Levi, but bounced back the next day to claim victory after Vlhova, the leader after the initial run, incurred a penalty by straddling a gate during the second run.
Sunday’s competition witnessed another intense battle between Shiffrin and Vlhova. Despite Vlhova’s strong second run, Shiffrin, leading after the first run, responded magnificently to secure the win.
Both athletes demonstrated exceptional skill, with Holdener finishing third, more than a second behind Vlhova.
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