US teenager Mikaela Shiffrin won her second World Cup slalom race of the season in Zagreb on Sunday with Austria’s Kathrin Zettel in second and Nina Loeseth of Norway third.
Reigning Olympic and world champion Shiffrin from Vail, Colorado, produced a technically impeccable performance to dominate the first run.
She stayed focussed second time out and dominated the opposition with a 1.68 seconds overall advance over Zettel.
It was the 19-year-old’s second slalom victory this season after she won at Kuhtai, Austria on Monday.
It was also her second victory at Sljeme, a mountain peak overlooking Zagreb, where Croatia’s skiing stars — the Kostelic siblings Janica and Ivica — made their skiing debuts.
Shiffrin won the Zagreb slalom in 2013. Last year the race was not held due to unfavourable weather conditions.
“If I enjoy it I know that I will be a good run” which was the case Sunday, a gleeful and smiling Shiffrin told reporters.
-Complete control-
“I feel like I’m in complete control of myself (on skis) for the first time in my life!”
“I felt like I skied very well in the first run and I attacked the course” in the second, she said.
“I try to go as fast as I can as soon as I can … I like skiing fast!”
Zettel echoed the American’s view: “It’s great to look at Mikaela. She is skiing smoothly, it looks easy. It’s important not to lose fun (in skiing).”
The 28-year-old Austrian said she liked the Sljeme slope as it was long and steep.
“I have problems with easy and flat slopes. I like this one. I’m glad I ended up second.”
Norway’s Loeseth made the first podium of her career but said she hoped it was just the start.
“It’s a good feeling. I’ve been fighting so hard. It came later than I anticipated. I’m not finished yet, but it’s a good start,” the 25-year-old said.
“I love this hill, atmosphere … the course is long and tough. I looked at Mikaela and how cool and cold she was, it inspired me.”
Sweden’s Frida Hansdotter was fourth while World Cup overall leader Tina Maze, who was touted to be the favourite on Sunday along with Shiffrin, came in fifth.
The 31-year-old Slovenian has one win in slalom this season, but has never won at Sljeme.
For the win Shiffrin received a crystal crown as the Zagreb slalom is dubbed the Snow Queen Trophy in honour of Janica Kostelic who was known as the “Snow Queen.”
Kostelic, the first woman to win four golds in Olympic skiing history, retired from competitive skiing in 2007 at the age of 25 due to long-standing health and injury problems.
In the World Cup slalom standings, after five races, Shiffrin is currently second with 319 points only one point behind leader Hansdotter.
In the overall World Cup standings, after 14 races, she is also in second place with 545 points. Olympic champion Maze is leading the overall standings with 777 points.
Next up at Zagreb is a World Cup men’s night slalom race on Tuesday.