LEVI, FINLAND – Mikaela Shiffrin claimed her 89th World Cup slalom victory on Sunday after Petra Vlhova, the first-run leader, encountered misfortune by straddling a gate in the final run. Despite the setback, Shiffrin acknowledged Vlhova’s impressive performance throughout the weekend.
Shiffrin finished 0.18 seconds ahead of Croatia’s Leona Popovic, who secured her second career podium result, and 0.30 seconds ahead of Germany’s Lena Duerr in third place. This win marked Shiffrin’s first top-three result of the season and gave her an early lead in both the slalom and overall World Cup standings.
The American skier, overcoming a recent knee injury, expressed gratitude for the victory, emphasizing the team’s collective effort. Shiffrin’s success in Levi marked her record seventh win in the season-opening slalom, maintaining dominance alongside Vlhova since 2016.
The women’s World Cup will continue with two cross-border downhills in Zermatt-Cervinia next week, while the men’s races on the Matterhorn mountain were canceled due to adverse weather conditions.