Mikaela Shiffrin triumphant in return from knee injury - ESPN

ARE, Sweden — Mikaela Shiffrin made a triumphant return to the Alpine skiing World Cup after a six-week injury layoff Sunday, dominating the season's penultimate slalom for career win 96 and locking up her record-equaling eighth season title in the discipline.

Racing for the first time since hurting her left knee in a downhill crash in Italy, the American star posted the fastest times in both runs to beat Croatian prodigy Zrinka Ljutic by a massive 1.24 seconds and third-placed Michelle Gisin of Switzerland by 1.34.

«It was so nice to race again today and some nerves and all the emotions that I hoped to feel,» Shiffrin said. «Really proud of my team, and for sure proud of myself to get back here and show the skiing. The second run was some of my best skiing. I am just so happy to be able to do that again this season.»

Shiffrin had been out since she sprained the MCL and tibiofibular ligament in her knee in January, while also still recovering from a bone bruise she had sustained at the start of the season.

«I felt great with my first run skiing, but if I could be like a little bit more clean, it would feel better, also on the knee, so this run was like… I wouldn't change one thing,» Shiffrin said.

With her Slovakian rival Petra Vlhova out for the season after knee surgery, the American's only remaining challenger for the slalom season title was Lena Duerr.

The German skier had to win both Sunday's race and the season-ending slalom at the World Cup finals in Austria next weekend to stay in contention, but finished fourth, 1.35 behind Shiffrin.

The season title is Shiffrin's eighth in slalom, making her the fourth skier to win eight crystal globes — the traditional prize in Alpine skiing — in a single classification.

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