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SPORTS Thursday 21 december 2017

Shiffrin beats Vlhova to win World Cup parallel slalom race

By JEROME PUGMIRE
AP Sports Writer
COURCHEVEL, France (AP)
— Mikaela Shiffrin beat
Petra Vlhova of Slovakia
in the final to win a World
Cup parallel slalom race
on Wednesday for the 35th
win of her career.
The defending World Cup
champion followed up her
victory in Tuesday’s giant
slalom on the same course
to extend her sizeable over-
all lead this season.
“Petra has been so strong
and pushing me hard this
season,” Shiffrin said. “It’s
cool to have this kind of a
fight with her, and for ev-
eryone to watch that.”
The 22-year-old American
clocked 18.79 seconds,
beating Vlhova by .04 sec-
onds for her fourth victory
this season, all in different
disciplines. She has also
won a first ever downhill
and a slalom, her specialty
with 26 career wins.
Shiffrin leads second-place
Viktoria Rebensburg of United States’ Mikaela Shiffrin competes during an alpine ski, women’s World Cup parallel slalom in Courchevel, France,
Germany by 291 points Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017. Associated Press
overall. Rebensburg did not Thalmann of Austria. drawbacks. the Alta Badia races, and Curtoni beat Skjoeld in the
compete in Wednesday’s She beat Ricarda Haaser, “Sometimes it feels a bit I wasn’t sure he’d be able small final for third place,
event. another Austrian, in the rushed and you feel you go to make it,” Shiffrin said. “It her second career podium
The 22-year-old Vlhova, quarterfinal — but almost before you’re ready, and was amazing. I got to see coming five years after the
meanwhile, jumped up to lost her balance after clip- it’s not always possible to him for about 10 seconds first in GS.
fourth overall. She clinched ping a gate with her hand pull out your best perfor- at the finish — now I’m ex- Shiffrin is the Olympic and
her ninth career podium — — and then defeated Irene mances,” Shiffrin said. “You cited to go see him again.” three-time world champion
including three this season. Curtoni of Italy in the semi- have to be really consistent Vlhova won her semifinal in slalom. She was a silver
Shiffrin was fastest in quali- final. and aggressive. The worst against Maren Skjoeld of medalist in giant slalom at
fying, leading the top 32 It was the first time the par- thing you can do is to ski Norway. the worlds last season.
qualifiers. The race then be- allel slalom has featured on too tentatively, in order to But beating Shiffrin was a She will be favorite to de-
came a knockout format. the women’s World Cup make it to the finish. The different challenge, espe- fend her slalom title at the
“It was a long day, (I) had circuit. next-worst thing you can cially in terms of pressure. Pyeongchang Olympics in
to stay focused,” Shiffrin “It’s cool because it gives do is be too aggressive.” “I want to concentrate only February, and a leading
said. “It was a tough fight, the lot of the girls who Shiffrin was pleasantly sur- on my line, my start. Some- contender for gold in the
the course got a little bit aren’t Top 15 or Top 20 the prised to see that her boy- times it’s difficult to con- GS.
bumpy here and there. “ opportunity to also race,” friend, the French giant centrate because you see The nations’ team event,
Shiffrin easily beat French- Shiffrin said. “I think that’s slalom skier Mathieu Faivre, Mikaela,” Vlhova said. “It which features the similar
woman Coralie Frasse a really good direction to was able to watch her after was really close and I think I discipline of parallel slalom,
Sombet in the first heat and go.” recently racing in Italy. was a little bit in front of her will make its Olympic debut
then eliminated Carmen However, she sees some “He just got home from in the middle.” at Pyeongchang.q