Shiffrin Seventh in Pre-Olympic SL

KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia (Feb. 2) - Reigning World Champion Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) was leading after the first run but struck a deep rut in her second run, slowing her to seventh in the final Audi FIS Alpine World Cup slalom before the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Swede Frida Hansdotter, who has eight previous World Cup podiums to her name, claimed the first win of her career. The athletes now head to Sochi, Russia for the Opening Ceremony Friday, Feb. 7 followed by the women’s super combined event Feb. 10.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Reigning World Champion Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) skied to seventh in the final Audi FIS Alpine World Cup slalom before the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
• Shiffrin was .31 in the lead after her first run, but a hole at the top of her second run rocked her forward and off balance. She was able to recover, but the bump robbed her of all her speed and she dropped to seventh.
• World Cup slalom title contender Frida Hansdotter, who has eight previous World Cup podiums to her name, took her first World Cup win Sunday. Shiffrin still holds a commanding 80-point lead over Hansdotter with 438 slalom points.
• Austria's Marlies Schild and her younger sister Bernadette Schild skied into second and third.
• The snowy Kranjska Gora course led to very rough, rutted conditions and caused many mistakes and DNFs throughout the day, including local hero Tina Maze, who skied out just two gates from the finish.
• Fellow Sochi bound athletes Resi Stiegler (Jackson Hole, WY) and Megan McJames (Park City, UT) also started the race, but did not qualify for the top 30 final.
• The athletes now head to Sochi, Russia for the Opening Ceremony Friday, Feb. 7. The first women's medal event is super combined on Feb. 10.

QUOTES
Mikaela Shiffrin
You know what? It was tough. But Frida went right before me and she did it, so it’s definitely hard and you have to be athletic. You really have to go for it and not let any little gate trip you up, just let your skis go down the hill. I didn’t quite do it on every gate that run so it cost me the lead.

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