Czech Republic’s SPINDLERUV MLYN (AP) — Skier Mikaela Shiffrin of America won her 85th career victory in a slalom on Saturday, closing in on the World Cup record established by the legendary Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden in the 1980s.
In another slalom Sunday, Shiffrin can match the highest total of 86 victories.
Before winning back-to-back giant slaloms in Italy this week and adding a third straight victory on Saturday, Shiffrin and former teammate Lindsey Vonn shared the women’s record of 82 victories.
The American won Germany’s Lena Dürr by 0.60 seconds after overcoming a mistake she made early in her second run. She then posted the quickest times for both legs.
Shiffrin raced at the resort close to the Czech-Polish border where she made her World Cup debut as a 15-year-old almost 12 years ago. “I knew it would take some risk and there’s a chance that I don’t finish at all, but I have to do my best turns to have a chance because these women are so strong,” she said.
Third place finisher and Olympic slalom champion Wendy Holdener of Switzerland was 1.31 back, followed by American colleague Paula Moltzan in fifth and Slovakia’s Petra Vlhová in fourth.
This season, Shiffrin has won five of the eight slaloms, increasing her advantage over Holdener in the discipline standings to 175 points. If she has a lead of at least 200 points after Sunday’s race, she may be able to claim the championship.
