Page 18 - AT

A18 SPORTS
Friday 15 February 2019
Shiffrin 1, Vlhova 1: Slalom to decide queen of ski worlds

By STEVE DOUGLAS skied "a little too safe."
AP Sports Writer Determined to ski more ag-
ARE, Sweden (AP) — Mikae- gressively in the second leg
la Shiffrin 1, Petra Vlhova 1: under floodlights, Shiffrin
Over to the slalom to deter- turned in only the sixth fast-
mine who is the queen of est run and ended up hap-
the skiing world champion- py just to claim third place
ships. for her sixth world champi-
Vlhova won the latest onship medal — just two off
episode of what is rapidly the American record held
emerging as the biggest fe- by Vonn.
male rivalry in the sport by "Coming away tonight
capturing gold in the giant with a bronze, after a gold
slalom on Thursday to be- in super-G, is very much a
come Slovakia's first world dream come true," Shiffrin
champion. said.
Coping best in winds that It was so windy ahead of
reached 70 kph (43.5 mph) the second run that orga-
amid unseasonably mild nizers removed the ban-
temperatures in central ner above the finishing
Sweden, Vlhova used her line. Shiffrin said the gusts
size and power to negate a pushed her backward at
0.19-second deficit to Vik- Slovakia's Petra Vlhova, center, shows her gold medal of the women's giant slalom, flanked by the starting gate.
silver medal's winner Germany's Viktoria Rebensburg, left, and bronze medallist United States'
toria Rebensburg after the Mikaela Shiffrin at the alpine ski World Championships in Are, Sweden, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. Vlhova, taller and more ro-
first run and beat the Ger- Associated Press bust than Shiffrin, relished
man by 0.14 seconds. the conditions. She even
Shiffrin took bronze to add Aged 23 like Shiffrin, Vlhova "Finally," Vlhova said, "I external pressure on the overcame crashing into a
to the gold medal she won is proving to be the biggest showed to everyone who is American after she chose gate in between the sec-
in the super-G on the open- threat to the American's Petra from Slovakia." to skip the combined — ond and third checkpoints
ing day of competition. dominance of Alpine ski- Shiffrin knows about her, all to the surprise of some, in- of the second run, which
Asked if the slalom on Sat- ing. The Slovakian is the right. cluding Lindsey Vonn — to saw her briefly lose control.
urday will determine the only racer to beat Shiffrin in "It's motivation," she said. preserve energy for the gi- Racing second to last, she
best female ski racer of slalom this season and she "It's inspiring in some ways." ant slalom and slalom. The leaned back and clenched
the championships, Vlhova also won two giant slaloms Shiffrin said she lost some careful planning didn't pay her fists after beating the
— the gold medal round on the World Cup circuit re- self-belief once she saw the off. time of Shiffrin. Then she
her neck — leaned back cently — tying with Shiffrin conditions in the morning, Shiffrin was 0.44 seconds off put her hands to her head
on the sofa, made herself in the final GS before the when it rained for the sec- Rebensburg's lead follow- when Rebensburg crossed
comfortable, and had a worlds. ond straight day to add to ing the first run, after which the line with the second-
twinkle in her eye. This win, which added to the strong winds that forced she acknowledged that best time even though the
"We will see on Saturday, the silver she won in the Al- organizers once again to she struggled to get a "re- 2010 Olympic champion
she said, "but sure it will be pine combined on Friday, shorten the course. sponse from the surface." had a lead of 0.40 seconds
a good fight with Miki." took her to a new level. There was already added It meant, she said, that she at the third checkpoint.q

Five-time winner Webb 2 strokes behind at Australian Open

ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Morgan Pressel. Sagstrom and Bronte Law,
Karrie Webb's bid for a sixth Ewart Shadoff is ranked started on the back nine
Women's Australian Open 59th in the world and has Thursday and was 4-under
title began with a 5-under made steady improvement through eight holes. Her
67 at The Grange, leaving in recent years without win- only bogey came on the
her two strokes behind first- ning a tournament as a par-4 sixth hole.
round leaders Jodi Ewart professional. She has twice "It's not easy to get off to a
Shadoff and Wei-Ling Hsu. represented Europe in the good start and be in posi-
English player Ewart Solheim Cup. tion from day one and not
Shadoff had a bogey- The 44-year-old Webb feel like you're catching up
free 65 in calm morning played just eight tourna- on Friday," Webb said. "I hit
weather Thursday, which ments last year and missed some good shots and saw
included four consecutive the cut in the U.S. Open some putts go in, so I felt re-
birdies from the seventh and British Open. ally comfortable there for
through 10th holes. Hsu Webb has not played full- about 11 holes.
had it tougher in the after- time since 2017. She spent "Then it got a little scratchy
noon but still managed five In this June 27, 2018, file photo, Karrie Webb, of Australia, watch- four months in Australia last there through the middle.
es her tee shot on the 17th hole during a practice round for the
back-nine birdies. KPMG Women's PGA Championship golf tournament at Kemper year at her Townsville, north But I hung in there and man-
"Perfect conditions ... I hit Lakes Golf Course in Lake Zurich, Ill. Queensland home base, aged to birdie the eighth,
some really close shots and Associated Press and when she teed it up which was my second-last
holed some good putts," last week in Barwon Heads hole, which is a nice way
Ewart Shadoff said. "Over- 68, along with Americans No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn had in the Vic Open, it was her to finish. I made the most of
all, I just hit the ball well." Kristen Gillman and Jackie two double bogeys and first competitive outing for the opportunities I had."
Defending champion Jin Stoelting. two bogeys in a 76. British almost eight months. Webb won previous Aus-
Young Ko was among Former No. 1 Lydia Ko had veteran Laura Davies shot Webb, who finished tied tralian Opens in 2000, 2002,
those tied for sixth with a four bogeys in a 71. Current 74, along with American for third with Madelene 2007, 2008 and 2014.q