Mikaela Shiffrin Wins Third Consecutive World Championship Slalom Title

Mikaela Shiffrin won Saturday’s FIS Alpine Ski World Championships slalom in St. Moritz, Switzerland. (Screenshot)

Not since 1939 has a skier won three consecutive World Championship slalom titles, that is until now. In explosive fashion under bright blue skies and a skiing on a rock-hard course, Mikaela Shiffrin matched Germany’s Christel Cranz (1937, 1938, 1939) as the only ski racers to win three consecutive slalom titles. Shiffrin added the 2017 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships to the one’s she won in 2015 at Beaver Creek, and 2013 at Schladming, Austria.

Winning the first run by 0.38 seconds over Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener, Shiffrin crushed the second run, on a course set by her coach Mike Day, to extend her margin of victory to 1.64 seconds over Holdener, who finished second, and 1.75 seconds over Sweden’s Frida Hansdotter in third.

“Nerves were higher the first run I’d have to say,” Shiffrin said. “The second run I thought that I’m halfway there, but everything could disappear in one second, so just focus. I kind of felt (my) confidence building and building, and when I got into the gate, I was ready.

Fellow AAmericans Resi Stiegler, competing in her eighth World Championships, finished 11^{th and} .Megan McJames (Park City, UT) was 36^th.

The World Cup circuit resumes for the women Feb. 24-26 with two downhills and a super-G in Kvitfjell, Norway.