Shiffrin wins slalom for third World Cup victory

Zuzulova settles in 2nd, Holdener 3rd

Mikaela Shiffrin of the USA competes during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women’s Slalom on Dec 29, in Semmering, Austria. (AFP)

SEMMERING, Austria, Dec 30, (AP): For once, even Olympic slalom champion Mikaela Shiffrin couldn’t believe what she had just achieved.

The American reacted by holding her right hand to her mouth in surprise after a spectacular final run in front of 13,500 spectators secured victory in a World Cup night slalom on Thursday.

Shiffrin managed to overcome several mistakes and a 0.33-second deficit at the last split time to produce a resounding winning margin of 0.64 seconds.

To make things even sweeter, it was her third World Cup triumph in as many days.

“Today was really crazy. It was a fight,” Shiffrin said. “I had a mistake and I knew I just had to keep going, going, going.”

Enjoying a slim opening-run lead, Shiffrin comfortably beat Veronika Velez Zuzulova of Slovakia, while Wendy Holdener of Switzerland was 1.54 seconds back in third.

Velez Zuzulova put Shiffrin under pressure with a strong second run, but the Slovak acknowledged “it was not enough, again.

“With Mikaela you never know what happens. I am getting close, but I still need more training,” said Velez Zuzulova, who has finished This is a Nov 22, 2016 file photo of English referee Mark Clattenburg of Britain as he shows a yellow card to Juventus’ Patrice Evra during the Group H Champions League soccer match between Sevilla and Juventus at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium in Seville, Spain. (AP)