(Reuters) – American Mikaela Shiffrin crushed the opposition in Tuesday’s giant slalom in Courchevel in France to claim her 72nd alpine skiing World Cup victory.
The 26-year-old was in a league of her won in the opening run in the French resort and kept things under control in the second to clinch her third World Cup win this season and second in a giant slalom.
Shiffrin clocked a combined best time of two minutes 15.35 seconds to beat Sweden’s Sara Hector by 0.86 and Swiss Michelle Gisin by 1.08.
The result took her to the top of the overall World Cup standings on 670 points, 35 ahead of Italian Sofia Goggia, who had taken the lead after a super G-downhill double in Val d’Isere last weekend.
“Today was quite a difficult one after the last weeks, pushing the schedule hard. It’s been a lot just to get here,” said Shiffrin, who also raced in the super-G in Val d’Isere.
“I’m not full tank right now. But tough, very good day.”
Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami, the giant slalom world champion, and Austrian Katharina Liensberger, the slalom world champion as well as New Zealand’ Alice Robinson had to sit the race out after testing positive for COVID-19.
Another giant slalom is scheduled in Courchevel on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
