Mikaela Shiffrin claims record-equaling 14th World Cup win of season

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Mikaela Shiffrin powered to a record-equaling 14th win of the World Cup season with a victory in the city event in Stockholm on Tuesday.

The American, who won two gold medals at the world championships earlier this month, equaled the record for men and women set by Vreni Schneider in the 1988/89 campaign, with 10 races still to go.

Shiffrin comfortably beat Germany's Christina Geiger in the final by 0.27 seconds to also seal her sixth slalom crystal globe, as her nearest rival Petra Vlhova failed to finish in the quarter-finals.

"I skied as well as I could," said Shiffrin, who has been struggling with a "small lung infection."

"Even if I was healthy, I probably couldn't have done better and now I'll have time to recover."

Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States competes during the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup 2019 at Hammarbybacken in Stockholm, Sweden, February 19, 2019. /VCG Photo

It was the 57th World Cup win of the 23-year-old's career, the fifth most of all-time, with Annemarie Moser-Proell's total of 62 next in her sights.

Shiffrin arrived in Stockholm as a red-hot favorite having won the world Super-G and slalom titles in Are, but she only just sneaked into the final after edging out home hope Anna Swenn-Larsson by 0.01sec in the semis.

Swenn-Larsson had to settle for the bottom rung of the podium, beating compatriot Frida Hansdotter.

Runaway leader Shiffrin also extended her advantage in the overall standings over second-placed Vlhova to 719 points.

The women are back in action this weekend at Crans-Montana in Switzerland with a downhill race on Saturday followed by Sunday's alpine combined event.

Source(s): AFP