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Mikaela Shiffrin crowned "Snow Queen" in Zagreb, Croatia
U.S. teenager won slalom event by record margin
Shiffrin second in overall World Cup standings
U.S. teenager Mikaela Shiffrin was crowned slalom skiing’s “Snow Queen” Sunday as she won her second World Cup race of the season in Zagreb, Croatia.
The reigning Olympic champion posted the fastest two-run aggregate time of one minute, 56.66 seconds to finish fully 1.68 seconds ahead of second-place Kathrin Zettel of Austria, the biggest winning margin in the 10-year history of the Zagreb event.
“This felt incredible, it’s such a tough and long hill but they prepare it so well and make it really fun,” Shiffrin said in comments carried FIS website.
The 19-year-old sat upon a throne on the podium and was handed a crystal crown to signify her victory and ascent to sporting royalty.
The Zagreb slalom is dubbed the Snow Queen Trophy in honor of Croatian skier Janica Kostelic who was dubbed the “Snow Queen” throughout a successful career that was cut short in 2007 due to persistent health and injury problems.
“I was trying not to focus on the lead I had in the first run and just going for it all,” Shiffrin continued. “It was really icy and I love that kind of surface, my skis were holding up amazing.”
“The hill really held up for everybody so I think it was a really fair race.”
Norway’s Nina Loseth earned her first career podium by finishing 2.79 seconds behind Shiffrin in third place while overall slalom discipline leader Frida Hansdotter finished in fourth.
Slovenian star Tina Maize, one of the pre-race favorites alongside Shiffrin, finished back in fifth but did enough to stay atop the overall World Cup.
Shiffrin is currently second in the slalom standings after five races and second in the overall World Cup standings after 15 races.
