Snow queen Shiffrin wins World Cup slalom

ZAGREB (AFP) –

US Mikaela Shiffrin competes in the second run of the women’s FIS slalom competition race in Sljeme, near capital Zagreb, on January 4, 2013. Shiffrin won the World Cup night slalom on Friday for her second victory of the season.

American teenager Mikaela Shiffrin won the World Cup night slalom on Friday for her second victory of the season.

The 17-year-old Shiffrin, the sensation of this season, finished with a combined time of 2min 01.73sec over the two runs, 1.19sec ahead of Sweden’s Frida Hansdotter, with Canada’s Erin Mielzynski taking third spot at 1.76.

World Cup leader Tina Maze of Slovenia, who was second in the first leg, failed to complete the second run, Sweden’s Maria Pietlae-Holmer suffering the same fate from third spot.

Shiffrin’s previous victory came in December at the Swedish resort of Are.

“This is an amazing feeling. When I was little, I would put towels around my neck and run around my house like it was a cape on my back. Now, I have a real cape robe and I’m really excited to go home with that,” said Shiffrin after receiving the winner’s Snow Queen cape awarded at the event.

“This race was a lot better than last year for me. There were a couple of races where I was straddling and didn’t finish, but this year I think I found my groove.

“In the second run I was thinking about Marlies (Schild) and about how much she would crush the second run like she did last year. I channelled that energy and it worked.”

Friday’s win means Shiffrin becomes the first American to win two World Cup races before the age of 18.

She is also the youngest woman to win two World Cup slalom races in a single season since 1977.