BEAVER CREEK, Colo. (AP) – American teenager Mikaela Shiffrin took a big step toward defending her slalom title at the world championships Saturday by turning in a smooth first run to grab the lead.
Shiffrin finished in 50.07 seconds and holds a 0.40-second advantage over Frida Hansdotter of Sweden heading into the afternoon run. Sarka Strachova of the Czech Republic was in third position. There are still lower-tier skiers competing.
With Lindsey Vonn done for these championships, the 19-year-old Shiffrin, who’s from nearby Eagle-Vail, slipped into the role of hometown favorite. She turned in a textbook run with no glaring mistakes, rhythmically gliding through the technical course to the cheers below.
She won the world title in Austria two years ago. Shiffrin also captured Olympic gold at the 2014 Sochi Games.