KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia (AP) — Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin positioned herself for her 40th career World Cup win by taking a big lead in the opening run of a slalom on Sunday.
A day after winning a giant slalom on the same hill, the overall champion sped down the Podkoren course in 51.44 seconds to lead Frida Hansdotter of Sweden by 1.49 seconds and Wendy Holdener of Switzerland by 1.60 seconds.
Petra Vlhova of Slovakia, the only skier to beat Shiffrin in a slalom this season, was fourth and had to make up 2.30 seconds on the American in the final run.
"That was maybe the best run of slalom I have ever done in a race," Shiffrin said. "I let it go down the hill and I am really, really happy with my skiing that run. I am always looking to do the skiing that I do in training. That feels really good, it's confident, it's flowing."
It's the fourth straight slalom race where Shiffrin holds a first-run lead of more than a second, a huge margin in a sport often decided by hundredths of a second.
"The surface is incredible and froze overnight so it's just so much fun to ski," said the American, who has recovered from the cold that hampered her at the GS the day before. "I am feeling much better. I have some food in me and the energy is coming back."
Shiffrin has won six of the last seven races. Winning on Sunday would put her level with Sweden great Ingemar Stenmark for the number of World Cup victories before turning 23. Only Austrian standout Annemarie Moser-Proell won more races (41) at that age.