KRANJSKA: Slovakian skier Petra Vlhova took advantage of a big mistake by Mikaela Shiffrin to set the fastest time in the first run of the World Cup slalom at Kranjska Gora in Slovenia on Sunday. Five-time big globe winner Shiffrin straddled a gate in the second sector and failed to finish, ruling her out of the second run.

It is the first time since the Beijing Winter Olympics in February 2022 that Shiffrin has gone out in her favourite event. It marked the end of a poor weekend in Slovenia for the American, who has a record 93 World Cup victories under her belt, 56 of those coming in the slalom. On Saturday, she could only finish ninth in the giant slalom, her worst result in the discipline since November 2022. Vlhova, who started the day in second place in the overall standings 307 points behind Shiffrin, clocked 51.30 seconds in the opening run. The German Lena Duerr was second and the Croat Leona Popovic third, both of them 0.26sec behind.

Meanwhile, Norwegians Alexander Steen Olsen and Atle Lie McGrath took command of the slalom in Adelboden, Switzerland, with the two fastest times in a first run marked by the exit of Olympic champion Clement Noël.

With fog enveloping the top of the course, Steen Olsen, 22, was the fifteenth down the mountain and completed the run in 56.79 seconds, just 0.05sec ahead of his 23-year-old compatriot McGrath. Italy’s Tommaso Sala was third quickest, finishing 0.23sec behind the leader.

The track is a happy hunting ground for the young Norwegians with victory last year for Lucas Braathen, who retired earlier this season after a dispute with the national federation, ahead of McGrath.

Discipline leader Marco Schwarz is absent after a serious knee injury ended his season in December but the narrow gaps at the top promise a thrilling second round. Linus Strasser, Manuel Feller, Samuel Kolega and Henrik Kristoffersen all remain in the hunt for the podium, with the top 12 separated by less than one second.

Olympic champion Noel, who was second in the last slalom at Madonna di Campiglio and lies fourth in the discipline standings, crashed at the top of the course after a good first intermediate time. The second run is scheduled for 1230 GMT. — AFP