Vlhova Runner-up to Shiffrin in Slalom in Lienz: "She's the Best"

Lienz, December 29 (TASR) – Alpine skier Petra Vlhova, who was last week declared Slovakia’s athlete of the year, was a runner-up to American Mikaela Shiffrin in a World Cup slalom race in Lienz, Austria on Sunday.

Vlhova finished 0.61 seconds behind Shiffrin, who also won a giant slalom competition in Lienz one day earlier. Meanwhile, Swiss Michelle Gisin took the third place (1.72 seconds behind the winner) in slalom.

Shiffrin, who on Sunday won both rounds, set a new record in the number of World Cup victories in Austria – twelve, beating skiing legends Renate Goetschl, Annemarie Moser-Proell, Marlies Schild and Lindsey Vonn, who had eleven victories each.

“It’s very difficult to compete with Mikaela, she was perfect in both rounds. She’s the best. Second place is good, but I wanted to win. Nevertheless, I’m satisfied with my performance,” said Vlhova.

Shiffrin was behind an aggressive Vlhova on all three splits, but she mastered the final steep section better. “It was a great battle with Mikaela today, she decided it in the second round. I also had a good race, but I made some mistakes that deprived me [of victory],” commented the Slovak skier.

Vlhova is now third in the overall World Cup standings and second in slalom. Shiffrin rules both in the World Cup and in slalom.