United States' Mikaela Shiffrin checks her time after the first run of an alpine ski, women's World Cup giant slalom, in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018.
United States' Mikaela Shiffrin checks her time after the first run of an alpine ski, women's World Cup giant slalom, in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018. Marco Tacca AP Photo
United States' Mikaela Shiffrin checks her time after the first run of an alpine ski, women's World Cup giant slalom, in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018. Marco Tacca AP Photo

Sports

Worley leads WCup giant slalom; Shiffrin 5th after 1st run

The Associated Press

January 27, 2018 05:59 AM

LENZERHEIDE, Switzerland

Tessa Worley of France mastered a tough top section to lead the first run of a World Cup giant slalom Saturday, and Mikaela Shiffrin was fifth.

Two-time world champion Worley found the fastest line through steep and twisting opening gates to finish 0.52 seconds faster than Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany.

Federica Brignone of Italy was 1.25 back in third, and Shiffrin had 1.58 to make up in the second run.

World Cup overall leader Shiffrin lost time early on by cautiously sliding into curves where it was difficult to let skis run fast. Several racers crashed out there.

Italian racers Sofia Goggia, the 2017 world championships bronze medalist, and Manuela Moelgg did not complete their runs through a gate-setting designed by one of their team coaches.

Worley is a three-time runner-up in GS this season and last won with Worlds gold at St. Moritz last February.

Shiffrin, 2010 Olympic champion Rebensburg and Brignone combined to win all six races in the discipline so far.

Lenzerheide is staging the last GS before the Olympic medal race on Feb. 12 — the first women's event on the Alpine program at the Pyeongchang Games.