(Reuters) – Sweden’s Sara Hector pipped American Mikaela Shiffrin to win the second giant slalom event in Courchevel in France on Wednesday for only her second alpine skiing World Cup victory.
Shiffrin beat Hector to win Tuesday’s giant slalom to claim her 72nd World Cup win but found herself in third place after the first run, 0.34 seconds behind leader Hector, while home favourite Tessa Worley was second.
Shiffrin then set the time to beat after her second run but Hector was up for the challenge, storming to the line in an effortless run to win by 0.35 seconds.
“It’s amazing, it’s so incredible and I’m so surprised too,” said a shell-shocked Hector, whose previous World Cup victory came in 2014 in Austria.
“It was such a big fight and I didn’t think I was so fast. Oh, I feel so awesome. It’s crazy, I’m so proud.”
Italy’s Marta Bassino was third, 0.60 seconds behind Hector who has now finished on the podium three times in Courchevel since last year.
A second giant slalom was scheduled in Courchevel to replace the event in Killington which was cancelled last month due to high winds.
Shiffrin leads the giant slalom standings after three stages, 78 points ahead of Hector.
The American also tops the overall standings with 750 points — 115 points ahead of Italy’s Sofia Goggia, who lost out on Wednesday after she failed to finish her first run.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
