With a strong second run, Mikaela Shiffrin took seventh place in the FIS World Cup giant slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. 

Conditions on the Podkoren course were rough—a venue generally used for men’s World Cups—with the course workers battling heavy snowfall earlier in the week. But Sara Hector of Sweden made it look easy, winning both runs by a total of .96 seconds over Frenchwoman Tessa Worley. It was Hector’s third career win and her second victory in the last 10 days. Marta Bassino of Italy was third with Canadian Valérie Grenier surprising everyone, skiing from bib 25 to fourth place. 

Shiffrin had crushed the two giant slaloms in Courchevel, France just before the holiday break, finishing first and second, but after contracting COVID and quarantining, she was open about feeling off her game after not training. She finished 14th first run and while she put down a much faster second run to move up to seventh place, she knows she has a long way to go.

“Four runs on my GS skis yesterday was not enough to hope or even wish that I could compete with the top women today, who showed very strong and very brave skiing,” said Shiffrin. “Still, I am disappointed to feel today that I was so far away from GS skiing that was just right there not too long ago. I’ll work to get that feeling back but for now, the job is to reset and recover the best I can for tomorrow’s slalom.”

However, the ever-positive Shiffrin looked on the bright side. “It’s really good to be back racing and I’ll take that over watching from my bed in quarantine any day,” said Shiffrin. “Big congrats to the podium, especially Sara Hector. That was incredibly strong skiing.”

With Hector’s win, she leap-frogged over Shiffrin to take the lead in the giant slalom standings. Shiffrin still maintains the lead in the overall World Cup standings, 135 points more than Petra Vlhova of Slovakia, who also had a challenging day, finishing 15th in Kranjska Gora. Sofia Goggia of Italy, who did not qualify for a second run, remains in third place.

Paula Moltzan was 22nd after first run, but crashed hard in second run and did not finish. She is OK. Nicola Rountree-Williams, who was starting in her career-first FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom, did not finish first run and Nina O’Brien did not qualify for second run.  

The women next race slalom in Kranjska Gora—races that moved from Maribor, Slovenia due to a lack of snow—on Sunday.

RESULTS
Women’s giant slalom

STANDINGS
Overall
Slalom

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST.

Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022
3:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Slalom, run 1 - LIVE, Kranjska Gora, SLO, Streaming Ski and Snowboard Live, Streaming Peacock
4:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Slalom, run 1 - LIVE, Adelboden, SUI, Streaming Peacock
6:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Slalom, run 2 - LIVE, Kranjska Gora, SLO, Broadcast Olympic Channel, Streaming Peacock
7:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Slalom, run 2 - LIVE, Adelboden, SUI, Broadcast Olympic Channel, Streaming Peacock

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