Mikaela Shiffrin wins 6th straight World Cup slalom
American has no shortage of fans at event in Vermont
Mikaela Shiffrin woke up this morning all nervous and edgy. By the end of the afternoon, it was hard to wonder why.
With her 95-year-old grandmother among the thousands cheering her, Shiffrin won her sixth straight World Cup slalom Sunday in Killington, Vt. after building a healthy lead in the first run and holding off some hard chargers in the second.
The overall World Cup leader had a combined time of 1 minute, 27.95 seconds. She was followed by Slovakia's Veronika Velez Zuzulova, 0.73 seconds, and Switzerland's Wendy Holdener in 1:28.81.
Norway's Nina Loeseth, runner-up in Saturday's giant slalom, was fourth in 1:29.29 — 0.01 seconds ahead of Slovakia's Petra Vlhova. The top five finishers from the first run finished in the same positions.
Three Canadian skiers finished in the top-30.
Marie-Michelle Gagnon of Lac-Etchemin, Que., finished 14th, Collingwood, Ont., resident Erin Mielzynski placed 22nd, and Ottawa-born Valerie Grenier was 29th.
Shiffrin said she put a lot of pressure on herself about racing in the East. And Sunday began with a sense of dread.
"I told myself, maybe I just should not do this," she said, adding she did not shake the feelings until the second run. "I was worked up and really nervous."
Shiffrin 'never been prouder'
But the skier who attended Burke Mountain Academy in northern Vermont had no shortage of fans behind her.
"Thank you so much for cheering so loud," she told those packing the two grandstands and lining the bottom of the course.
Shiffrin spent the Thanksgiving holiday with her family, including her grandmother.
"It was amazing that Nana was here to watch," said Shiffrin, thanking her for "the unconditional love and the incredible pies." "I've never been prouder of doing anything than winning a race in front of my Nana."
Shiffrin also won the first slalom of the World Cup season in Finland. With a first in slalom and fifth in GS at Killington, she has extended her World Cup overall lead. She has 325 points to 168 for the runner-up, Switzerland's Holdener.
This weekend's World Cup races were the first for Killington and the first in 38 years in Vermont. There was a big crowd again Sunday, though perhaps slightly smaller than the 16,000 for Saturday's giant slalom. The grandstands were again filled, with spectators piled up dozens deep alongside the course.
The women's World Cup circuit moves to Lake Louise, Alberta, for two downhills and a super-G beginning on Dec. 2.