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Wendy Holdener finished second in Kranjska Gora after leading at half-time. Petra Vlhova remains the measure of all things in slalom.
The podium
- 1. Petra Vlhova (SVK) 1: 44.29 minutes
- 2. Wendy Holdener (SUI) +0.23 s
- 3. Anna Swenn Larsson (SWE) +1.06
Everything would have been done for Wendy Holdener: Just in time for her anniversary slalom (No. 100), the Schwyzerin, as the halftime leader, set out to clinch the first victory in her favorite discipline. The two slalom dominators Mikaela Shiffrin and Petra Vlhova had just kept Holdener in check in the first round.
When the half-time third Shiffrin threaded in the second round with an outstanding split time and failed to finish a slalom run for the first time since January 2018, the chances of Holdener’s premiere increased further. But once again there was no getting past Vlhova: With an impressive drive and fastest time, the Slovakian won the 6th slalom of the season, the 5th victory. Holdener was the last starter to keep up with the slalom queen for a long time, but then left the decisive hundredths behind on the final slope.
Despite the missed chance, Holdener Kranjska Gora can chalk up a success: 2nd place means her 29th place on the podium in slalom, 14 times as runner-up. Meanwhile, Vlhova is expanding its lead in the Slalom World Cup and is also taking the lead in the overall World Cup.
The other Swiss women
- 21. Elena Stoffel +3.56
- 23. Nicole Good +3.67
Elena Stoffel narrowly missed the top 20 with two solid runs, but 21st place is still her best result of the winter. The Valais woman was satisfied at the finish and spoke of “one step forward”.
Meanwhile, 24-year-old Nicole Good collected the first points in her 6th World Cup race. The St. Gallen woman showed a brave appearance, especially in the second run, and did not switch to administration mode despite the prospect of winning the premiere points. In the end, Good was awarded 23rd place.
Michelle Gisin’s working day ended early. The Engelberger, who started with the number 1, threaded through the 4th gate. Valentine Macheret clearly missed the second run as 48th in the first run.
The excitement on the verge
Vlhova expressed severe criticism of the slope preparation even before the first run. The Slovak described the route as unworthy of the World Cup and spoke of a “disaster”. Her victory should comfort her for this displeasure.
So it goes on
The next slalom is scheduled for Tuesday in Schladming in Styria. Originally, the traditional night slalom should have taken place in Flachau on Tuesday. Because the number of corona cases in the region is high, the state of Salzburg has spoken out against it, which is why the race is now being held in Schladming. The next weekend the speed specialists in Zauchensee will be asked again (downhill and super-G).