Mikaela Shiffrin GEPA pictures/Harald Steiner

Levi provided the women of the FIS World Cup with another perfect day for slalom racing. However, once again, the stars shone during the first run. However, Slovakia’s Petra Vlhová is in a league of her own. She skied with power and precision that the rest of the field could not match. The Olympic Champion’s renewed motivation to train slalom and giant slalom is paying dividends.

“I felt good, I did perfect in the steep part compared to yesterday’s first run,” said Vlhova, who is the Olympic champion and has 20 World Cup wins in slalom.

Vlhová was the fastest skier on both runs Saturday and is halfway to doing the same today. However, ski racing isn’t predictable and there are three women within a second of Vlhová after the first run.

Mikaela Shiffrin came the closest but is trailing Vlhová by (+0.76). The two other women who skied fast enough to be within a second of the best time are Sweden’s Sara Hector (+0.84) and yesterday’s silver medalist, Germany’s Lena Duerr (+0.94).

After Shiffrin’s run, she communicated she is generally happy with her skiing. “I felt really quite good, smooth, I felt kind of my timing was a bit better than yesterday even,” said Shiffrin

“I’d like to kind of add more aggression or power in my turns, but I think it’s step by step, a little bit,” said Shiffrin.

Other North Americans among the morning’s fastest ten are Canadian athletes Ali Nullmeyer and World Champion Laurence St-Germain. Nullmeyer, who skied well yesterday, finished 6th (+1.48) behind Vlhová and St Germain, who did not qualify Saturday, sits 9th (+1.84) after the morning run.

Nine from outside the first thirty qualified

Nine skiers outside the first thirty starters could ski fast enough to qualify for the second run—the fastest being bib 38 French skier Chiara Pogneaux 14th (+2.06). The highest start number to qualify was 16-year-old Italian skiing for Albania, Lara Colturi, 21st (+2.57).

Unfortunately, Stifel US Ski Team’s medal contender Paula Moltzan and her teammate Zoe Zimmermann could not finish the first run. Also, Canadian Amelia Smart, US independent Lila Lapanja, Stifel US Ski Team Athletes Dasha Romanov, AJ Hurt, and Canadian Justine Lamontagne could not qualify.

The fastest 30 after the first run and analysis of the fastest three and qualified North Americans

Analysis of the fastest three and other qualified North Americans