The American Mikaela Shiffrin became the first skier in history to win four consecutive world titles in the specialty of slalom, after winning in Are (Sweden).
Shiffrin, 23, beat the Swedish Anna Swenn-Larsson by 58 hundredths and the Slovakian Petra Vlhova, gold in the Giant, in just over a second (1.03).
Accusing the “energy drop” that she herself had revealed after feeling ill, Shiffrin finished the first heat in third position, 15 hundredths behind the Swiss Wendy Holdener, the fastest on the first descent.
Among them was the local Swenn-Larsson, while Vhlova was only the fifth fastest (at almost half a second).
In the second, Shiffrin, a great favorite for the title after dominating the season in the most technical discipline, was the only skier to get off the minute, although the title depended on Holdener.
The suspense, however, was short-lived, as the Swiss tripped over one of the doors and left the world crown on a platter for the American.
– Classification of the slalom in the World Championship of Are:
1. Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) 1: 57.05 (57.23 + 59.82) GOLD
2. Anna Swenn-larsson (SWE) 1: 57.63 (57.19 + 1: 00.44) SILVER
3. Petra Vlhova (SVK) 1: 58.08 (57.54 + 1: 00.54) BRONZE
4. Katharina Liensberger (AUT) 1: 58.48 (57.35 + 1: 01.13)
5. Frida Hansdotter (SWE) 1: 59.44 (57.64 + 1: 01.80)
6. Laurence St-germain (CAN) 1: 59.65 (58.60 + 1: 01.05)
7. Katharina Huber (AUT) 1: 59.85 (58.66 + 1: 01.19)
8. Katharina Truppe (AUT) 1: 59.98 (58.93 + 1: 01.05)
9. Bernadette Schild (AUT) 2: 00.46 (59.20 + 1: 01.26)
10. Erin Mielzynski (CAN) 2: 00.59 (58.99 + 1: 01.60). AFP