Vlhova leads Shiffrin in 1st run of World Cup slalom opener

LEVI, Finland (AP) — Slovakian skier Petra Vlhova took a slim lead over Mikaela Shiffrin in the opening run of the first women’s World Cup slalom of the season on Saturday.

Vlhova edged the three-time overall champion by 0.13 seconds as the duo looked set to continue dominating the discipline.

All 20 World Cup slaloms since January 2017 have been won by either Shiffrin (16) or Vlhova (4).

“It was OK, I felt pretty solid with my skiing,” Shiffrin said. “I think there are some spots where I can be a little bit more relaxed.”

Another win Saturday would be Shiffrin’s record 41st in the discipline. The American currently shares the all-time best mark in slalom with Sweden’s standout Ingemar Stenmark.

Vlhova, who won this race two years ago, was 0.32 behind Shiffrin at the second check point but found a smoother line going over a roll into the steep part of the Levi Black course.

“I didn’t do a great job on this one. It’s pretty sharp. I think Petra did quite a good job there,” Shiffrin said. “I like to be in a position where I am kind of coming from behind and chasing.”

Katharina Truppe of Austria was 0.99 behind in third, while the rest of the field had to make up more than 1.3 seconds in the second run. Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener, who had been nursing an elbow injury in recent weeks, finished 1.55 behind Vlhova.

New Zealand teenager Alice Robinson, who beat Shiffrin in the season-opening giant slalom in Austria last month, was sitting out the race with a knee injury.

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