Shiffrin wins last slalom before Olympics, takes season title - ESPN

SPINDLERUV MLYN, Czech Republic — Mikaela Shiffrin has locked up the slalom season title with the Olympics looming to become the first skier in the six-decade history of the World Cup with nine season titles in one discipline.

The American star might have to share her record soon, though, as teammate Lindsey Vonn has eight downhill titles and currently holds a commanding lead in those standings in her second season back from her initial retirement in 2019.

On the men's side, Ingemar Stenmark won the slalom globe and Marcel Hirscher the overall title eight times each.

Shiffrin dominated the last slalom before the Milan Cortina Games on Sunday, securing the top spot in the discipline standings with two races to spare.

She won both runs to beat runner-up Camille Rast, the world champion from Switzerland, by 1.67 seconds. The rest of the field, led by Germany's Emma Aicher, trailed by more than two seconds.

Shiffrin's victory came a day after she earned her first giant slalom podium in two years.

But the American was reluctant to read too much into those results and how they may translate to her form for the Olympics, where she plans to start in slalom, GS and the team combined.

«At the Olympics is a totally different challenge,» said Shiffrin, who won slalom gold in 2014 and GS gold four years later but didn't finish any of her individual events in 2022.

«I've had great Olympics, I've had tough Olympics. I try to go in with an open mind, good spirit, trusting my team,» she added. «We're coming in with strong athletes, so it's time to enjoy that.»

This weekend's races took place at the Czech venue of Shiffrin's World Cup debut at age 15 in March 2011.

«It just feels amazing to be here. I feel like when I was 15 years old