SAN VIGILIO DI MAREBBE, Italy (AP) — Petra Vlhova was fastest Tuesday in the first run of the last World Cup giant slalom before the Beijing Olympics, and 2018 gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin was third.
Vlhova made good use of the No. 1 start bib on a perfect clear and cold day at Kronplatz mountain in the Dolomites to be 0.34 seconds faster than in-form Sara Hector.
Shiffrin has 0.59 to make up in the afternoon second run in a race that shapes as a good guide to the Olympic giant slalom on Feb. 7. It opens the women’s Alpine skiing program in China.
Vlhova is seeking her first giant slalom victory this season after Shiffrin and Hector combined to win four of the five races so far. Sweden’s Hector leads the World Cup standings in giant slalom.
With 100 World Cup points awarded for race wins, the Shiffrin-Vlhova duel in the overall standings is tight approaching a three-weekend break for the Olympics.
Shiffrin, the three-time overall champion, leads by 52 points from Vlhova who won her first title last season.
The gap will be down to just 12 in Shiffrin’s favor if they retain their placings in the second run at Kronplatz.
The women’s World Cup circuit moves this weekend to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany — where a downhill and super-G are scheduled — before racers pause for the Winter Games.