Shiffrin closes in on ski record with first run of GS

SOLDEU, Andorra (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin clocked the fastest time in the first run in giant slalom in Sunday’s World Cup finals, positioning herself for a career-best 21st win in the discipline.

Shiffrin could overtake Vreni Schneider after equaling the Swiss mark of 20 GS World Cup wins last week. The American has won six of the last seven events and won the GS world title last month.

The overall record, between men and women, is held by the great Swede Ingemar Stenmark, who won 46 giant slaloms in the 1970s and 1980s.

Shiffrin won the overall, slalom and GS titles this season and set the record for most career wins with 87.

Another race victory would see the American set a personal best 2,206 World Cup points in 31 starts this season, two points more than her total from 2018-19, when she competed in 26 races.

As the sun shone on the Avet course, Shiffrin opened the race in 56.60 seconds to build a lead of more than six tenths of a second.

“That race was the best I could do,” Shiffrin said. “I think it was really a bit of luck to draw bib 1 today. Of course I had the best surface. And I also tried to be really active and enjoy it.

Canadian Valérie Grenier, Italian Marta Bassino and Polish Maryna Gasienica-Daniel all trailed the American by 0.62 to 0.65.

Three of the seven highest ranked runners did not finish as Petra Vlhova, who won Saturday’s slalom, Federica Brignone and Olympic champion Sara Hector all missed a gate.

Lara Gut-Behrami lost a ski pole early in her race after hitting a gate with her left hand, but the Swiss skier still posted the sixth fastest time.

Two-time world champion Tessa Worley of France finished seventh in what she says will be the last race of her career.

Round two is scheduled for later on Sunday.

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