Mikaela Shiffrin Dominates Last World Cup Race of the Year

Mikaela Shiffrin, the American skiing sensation, once again left spectators in awe with her remarkable performance in the final World Cup race of the year. Shiffrin secured her 93rd career victory, winning the slalom race by an astounding margin of 2.34 seconds.

This victory marks Shiffrin’s seventh win in the traditional year-ending slalom out of her last eight starts. The race alternates between the Austrian resorts of Lienz and Semmering. Despite missing this race in 2015 due to a knee injury and in 2021 after testing positive for COVID-19, Shiffrin’s dominance in the event remains unparalleled.

Relentless Work and Consistency Key to Success

When asked about her exceptional performance, Shiffrin attributed her success to relentless hard work throughout the season. The five-time overall World Cup champion believes in consistently pushing herself and ensuring she fulfills her duties on the slopes.

Shiffrin’s victory was a result of her phenomenal speed in both runs on the Schlossberg course. She finished ahead of Germany’s Lena Duerr, who took second place, while Swiss skier Michelle Gisin secured a respectable third-place finish, 0.11 seconds behind.

The winning margin of 2.34 seconds secured by Shiffrin in this race stands as the seventh-largest in the history of women’s World Cup slalom. Remarkably, Shiffrin also holds four out of the remaining six records, including the astonishing 3.07-second victory achieved in Aspen, Colorado, in November 2015.

Challenges and Rivals

Shiffrin’s teammate Paula Moltzan started strong after the first run but unfortunately straddled a gate and did not complete her final run. Meanwhile, Shiffrin’s main rival in slalom, Olympic champion Petra Vlhova, finished fifth, 3.24 seconds behind. Vlhova had defeated Shiffrin in a night slalom in France just a week prior.

Shiffrin now seeks to further extend her record-breaking career with a 56th win in slalom from 107 starts. Her domination in the opening run, where she led Moltzan by an impressive 1.14 seconds, puts her in a solid position to achieve this milestone.

Looking Forward

Shiffrin’s triumph in the year-ending slalom follows her victory in the giant slalom the previous day. Despite a packed schedule and consecutive days of racing, Shiffrin showed no signs of holding back. The American star conquered fatigue and focused on the task at hand, resulting in another outstanding win.

The women’s World Cup will continue with a Giant Slalom and slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, on January 6-7, offering another opportunity for Shiffrin to showcase her unrivaled talent.

Source: US News

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