THIS IS A FIRST RUN STORY. FOR THE FULL RACE, CLICK HERE.

Photo: Lena Dürr in Levi. GEPA pictures.

LEVI, Finland — Lena Dürr dominated the first run of the season-opening women’s World Cup race on Saturday.

The German skier started first in the slalom event in Finnish Lapland to clock 54.48 seconds and build a 0.45 second lead over Anna Swenn Larsson of Sweden. The 31-year-old Dürr made four slalom podiums last season to finish third in the discipline.

As expected, Mikaela Shiffrin, third after the first run, is in contention for another SL Victory in Levi. Although trailing by 0.55 seconds, the margin is well within her ability to overcome. However, It won’t be easy; the top four women are all skiing very well.

Last season’s World Cup slalom champion Petra Vlhová of Slovakia was another two-hundredths of a second back in fourth.

Vlhová and Shiffrin have dominated the field in this Finnish resort in recent years.

No skier other than Vlhová or Shiffrin has won the traditional season-opening slalom since then-overall champion Tina Maze triumphed in 2014.

Vlhová has won five times here; Shiffrin four times.

Slovenia’s Ana Bucik and Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener were tied for fifth, .61 second behind the leader.

USA’s Ava Sunshine qualifies for the second run in her inaugural World Cup event. Skiing into 25th with bib 45, Sunshine joins an exclusive group of skiers who qualified for the second run on their first attempt.

Also, It appears that US Tech coach Magnus Andersson’s confidence is well-founded. World Cup rookie, Sunshine, qualified and Hensien was only 0.39 from qualifying and returning from injury Nina O’Brien missed the second by only 0.50 seconds.

Additionally, USA’s Moltzan and Hurt were inside the top 30 when they abandoned the course.

Notably, both Canadians who qualified for the second run are products of NCAA skiing. Ali Nullmeyer is a student at Middlebury College in Vermont and Amelia Smart graduated from the University of Denver.

Analysis of the top four after the first run

Other North Americans qualified for the second run

North Americans who finished outside the top 30 on the first run