ASPEN, Colo. (AP) – Mikaela Shiffrin will clinch the overall World Cup title before even racing during World Cup Finals after Ilka Stuhec and her coach said the Slovenian skier won’t compete in the slalom.
The 22-year-old Shiffrin will join Phil Mahre, Tamara McKinney, Bode Miller and Lindsey Vonn as the only American overall World Cup champions.
Citing exhaustion, Stuhec said Friday at the team event that she will skip the slalom race to prepare for the giant slalom on Sunday. Her private coach, Grega Kostomaj, confirmed Stuhec’s decision.
Shiffrin already held a nearly insurmountable 198-point lead over Stuhec with two races left – Shiffrin’s specialties at that. Stuhec made a nice run at finals – winning the downhill and taking second in the super-G – to keep the competition close.