On Saturday, December 21, 2019, Petra Vlhova of Slovenia won the first World Cup slalom of the season in Are, Sweden. This was Vlhova’s second career World Cup win and her first in slalom. She finished with a combined time of 1:43.14, edging out Wendy Holdener of Switzerland by 0.08 seconds. Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States placed fourth after crashing during training earlier in the week.
Vlhova’s victory was a surprise to many as she had only competed in two slaloms prior to this season, finishing in 11th and 12th place. She had also failed to finish in three of her last four races. However, Vlhova put together an impressive performance on Saturday, finishing with the fastest time in both runs.
Shiffrin, who is the reigning Olympic and World Cup champion, had been the favorite to win the race. She had won the last five slalom races and was looking to extend her streak. However, her hopes were dashed when she crashed during training on Wednesday. She was able to compete in the race but was unable to match Vlhova’s speed.
The result of the race was a major upset for Shiffrin and her fans. However, it was a major victory for Vlhova and her country. This was her first World Cup win and it will likely be the first of many. She is now the favorite to win the overall World Cup slalom title this season.
Overall, Saturday’s race was an exciting one with a surprising result. Petra Vlhova of Slovenia pulled off a major upset by winning the first World Cup slalom of the season. Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States placed fourth after crashing during training earlier in the week. It will be interesting to see if Vlhova can continue her success throughout the season and if Shiffrin can bounce back from her setback.
