Shiffrin eyes fourth overall World Cup crown as race for title heats up in Are, Sweden

Mikaela Shiffrin is one step closer to claiming her fourth overall World Cup title.

The alpine skiing superstar moved to within touching distance of the achievement after her main threat, Slovakia's slalom Olympic champion Petra Vlhova, slid out on the first run of the giant slalom in Lenzerheide, Switzerland on Sunday (6 March).

Shiffrin has a 117-point lead over Vlhova with six races remaining (two GS, two slaloms, one downhill, one Super G). For the complete standings, click here.

The circuit heads to Are, Sweden this weekend with a giant slalom on Friday (11 March) and a slalom on Saturday (12 March) before the World Cup Finals in Courchevel-Meribel, France from 14 to 20 March.

11 March 2022

Giant Slalom: 1st run - 15:00 CET (9:00 ET), 2nd run - 18:00 CET (12:00 ET)

12 March 2022

Slalom: 1st run - 10:30 CET (4:30 ET), 2nd run - 13:45 CET (7:45 ET)

Shiffrin has the chance to bounce back in a big way during these final two World Cup stops after a disappointing Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

The rest of the field will have to deal with a resurgent American, who finished in second place in the Super-G and fourth in the giant slalom in Lenzerheide last weekend.

The two-time Olympic gold medallist needs to finish in fifth place or better in each race in Are to remain in front of Vlhova going into the World Cup finals in France.

The Colorado native will celebrate her 27th birthday on Sunday (13 March), and she could give herself the perfect gift during the weekend in Sweden.