American skier Mikaela Shiffrin showcased her dominance in a World Cup slalom event held in Colorado by securing her fourth consecutive victory in the discipline during this Olympic season. With this win, Shiffrin now holds a remarkable record of 104 World Cup victories, with 67 of them coming in the slalom discipline.
Competing in challenging conditions with moderate snowfall, Shiffrin widened her lead in the second run and triumphed by an impressive margin of 1.57 seconds over Lena Duerr from Germany, who climbed from ninth place after the initial leg. The event took place at Copper Mountain, just a short distance from Shiffrin’s hometown of Edwards, Colorado, where fans cheered her on with supportive signs.
Despite a minor error early in her second run, teenager Lara Colturi from Albania managed to secure the third spot, finishing 1.85 seconds behind Shiffrin. Wendy Holdener claimed the fourth position, followed by Anna Swenn Larsson in fifth place.
This victory marked Shiffrin’s first win in Colorado in over a decade, with her last triumph in the state dating back to 2015 in Aspen. Notably, Shiffrin has achieved 12 of her 104 World Cup victories on home soil in the United States. She previously clinched the slalom title at the 2015 world championships held in Vail-Beaver Creek, Colorado.
Having now won the opening three slalom races of the season four times in her career, Shiffrin continues to solidify her status as a top contender in Alpine skiing. She is anticipated to be a key figure at the upcoming Milan Cortina Olympics, scheduled from February 6 to 22 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Shiffrin’s emotional journey was evident during the event, as she was moved to tears while witnessing her fiancée, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, make a comeback after a lengthy hiatus due to severe injuries.
In the same competition, Laurence St-Germain from Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Quebec, finished 15th in the women’s slalom event. Other American participants included Paula Moltzan, securing eighth place, and Nina O’Brien, finishing in the 26th spot. Shiffrin is set to compete in two giant slaloms in Tremblant, Quebec, before heading back to Europe for the remainder of the season.
