Alpine skiing: Vlhova ends winning streak from Shiffrin

The basis for the superior victory was laid by Vlhova, who was the last athlete on the podium before Shiffrin almost a year ago in Flachau, with starting number one and a dream run in the first round. Ultimately, 1.12 seconds were no longer catchable even for World Champion Shiffrin in the final, especially since Vlhova made no decisive mistakes on the way to her overall eleventh World Cup victory and had cleared all doubts about the winner with a new best time.

“I am very, very happy. When I was young I always dreamed of winning here and being the Snow Queen. I already had a positive feeling in the morning and thought I could win, “said Vlhova, who should not change gear despite the big lead in the final.” I took full risk again, it was perfect. Mikaela is a great driver, you have to take full risk to beat her. ”

Shiffrin as a fair second

Shiffrin was fair second and paid Vlhova the respect he deserved. “It was really exciting. It’s always a big fight, especially against Petra. I never expect to win. I always have to do everything right to the point, “said Shiffrin, who continues to hold 64 World Cup victories and, as the first athlete in Zagreb, could have won at the same location for the fifth time.

The fact that it didn’t work for the time being was due to the first run and its lag of 1.12 seconds. “In the second run I drove a lot better because I was much more aggressive and completely on the attack. That was the only way I had a chance of winning, ”said Vlhova, who was 24 years old. “After that I waited for what Petra did. And she did an incredible run and was too far away for me. She was just too strong.”

“There was a lot of fun”

For Liensberger it was the second third place in a World Cup slalom after Flachau last January – despite a serious mistake in the final in the upper part. Thanks to an unleashed ride on the final slope, she ultimately remained 0.11 seconds ahead of the Swiss Wendy Holdener, who started the final third with 18 hundredths of a second ahead of Liensberger. The seventh and second best Austrian was Katharina Truppe (+4.42), who was third in Levi for the first slalom podium for the ÖSV women this season.

Liensberger was overjoyed. “Great. There was a lot of fun. The slope demands everything. You have to take risks and drive to the limit. I am so grateful that the podium worked. I knew I had to pull through the race to the end, ”said the 22-year-old. Shiffrin and Vlhova have shown what else is possible. “My backlog appreciates the performance of the two. So I have to keep working, but I’m looking forward to it. ”

“Little Hoppala” with Truppe

Troop also looked back on a mistake. “I had a little hoppala, but it went well, so I’m happy to take seventh place,” said the Carinthian. “The steep slope was okay twice, I still have to practice the flat one. My turns fit. “About Vlhova and Shiffrin Truppe said:” This is really a world of its own. They’re just annihilating us, that’s a bit bitter. But that’s also part of it. That means we have to keep working. “

The other Austrians could not have a say in the fight for the absolute top places in Zagreb. Chiara Mair fought fiercely as 15th (5.65) and then made mixed accounts. “It was a solid race, but not entirely flawless. I’m happy to know that I can drive even faster, ”said the 23-year-old after her third best World Cup result after finishing 12th in Killington in December and 13th in Zagreb last season.

Gritsch scores again

Franziska Gritsch’s decision improved from 28th to 20th place. In the end she was 6.12 seconds behind winner Vlhova. “In the first run I was still running in, in the second I just wanted to accelerate, I managed that. It was important for me to collect points again, ”said Gritsch, who hadn’t been quite fit after a cold.

Michaela Dygruber, who as a half-30. had opened the second run, was ultimately 26th (6.59). Katharina Gallhuber (37.) and Hannah Köck (46.) clearly missed the final, Katharina Huber dropped out in the first run. Incidentally, the last victory of an Austrian in a World Cup slalom goes back to Nicole Hosp in November 2014 in Aspen.

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