OLYMPICS: Alpine skiing-Shiffrin back to dominant best in slalom first run

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy – U.S. skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin delivered a commanding first-leg performance in the women’s slalom on Wednesday, asserting her status as the overwhelming favorite for gold in the final Alpine skiing event of the Milano Cortina Olympics.

Shiffrin, the most successful skier in World Cup history, started seventh under a bright, sunny sky and immediately left her rivals behind with a blistering time of 47.13 seconds.

Germany’s Lena Duerr clocked the second-fastest time at 47.95 seconds, a full 0.82 seconds behind Shiffrin. No other competitor came within a second of the American, with the gap between Shiffrin and Duerr matching that between Duerr and 10th-placed Austrian Katharina Truppe. Sweden’s Cornelia Oehlund secured third, exactly one second off the pace.

Shiffrin has won seven of eight World Cup slaloms this season but is still seeking her first Olympic medal since 2018, after going medalless in the team combined and giant slalom. Wednesday marked her final chance at the 2026 Games.

The 2014 Olympic slalom champion showcased her trademark focus and aggression on a piste set by Austrian coach Klaus Mayrhofer. She recorded the fastest time in three of four sectors and crossed the finish line with a confident smile.

Switzerland’s Camille Rast, the reigning world champion and the only skier to beat Shiffrin in slalom this season, placed fourth, 1.05 seconds behind the American. Sweden’s Anna Swenn Larsson and Switzerland’s five-time Olympic medalist Wendy Holdener tied for fifth at 48.29 seconds.

Italian-born Lara Colturi, competing for Albania, was seventh, trailing by 1.26 seconds. Reigning Olympic champion Petra Vlhova of Slovakia, returning from nearly two years out with a torn knee ligament, was 2.86 seconds off the lead.

The first run featured 95 starters, including athletes from non-traditional skiing nations such as Madagascar, Trinidad and Tobago, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The second run, designed by Swedish coach Sascha Sorio, is set to begin at 12:30 GMT.

-Additional reporting by Julien Pretot and Sara Rossi; editing by Christian Radnedge/Reuters