Showdown set between two of world’s best skiers

Mikaela Shiffrin 1, Petra Vlhova 1: Over to the slalom to determine who is the queen of the skiing world championships in Are, Sweden.

Vlhova won the latest episode of what is rapidly emerging as the biggest female rivalry in the sport by capturing gold in the giant slalom on Thursday to become Slovakia’s first world champion. Shiffrin took bronze to add to the gold medal she won in the super-G on the opening day of competition.

Asked if the slalom on Saturday will determine the best female ski racer of the championships, Vlhova — the gold medal round her neck — leaned back on the sofa, made herself comfortable, and had a twinkle in her eye. “We will see on Saturday, she said.

College

Missouri filed a notice of appeal with the NCAA’s committee on infractions Thursday as it begins to fight what it considers overly harsh sanctions for academic misconduct involving a former tutor.

The NCAA banned the football, baseball and softball programs from the postseason for a year and placed the entire athletic department on probation late last month. Missouri also was docked scholarships and given recruiting restrictions.

Elsewhere

Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback whose NFL career was cut short after he knelt in protest during the national anthem, would still have a job if he were a basketball player, according to former NBA Commissioner David Stern. Speaking on the Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast, Stern said that public criticism, particularly from President Donald Trump, may be weighing on National Football League owners. It’s different for the National Basketball Association, which has made a priority of letting players promote and express themselves, he said.