KILLINGTON, Vt.—Wendy Holdener’s lengthy wait for a slalom victory came to an end on Sunday although the Swiss skier had to share top spot with Anna Swenn Larsson.
Mikaela Shiffrin was bidding for a sixth straight win in Killington, Vermont, and the American was fastest in the first run but finished fifth, 0.59 seconds behind the winning duo.
It was Holdener’s first slalom win after finishing 30 times on the podium for the unwanted record of most World Cup podium finishes without a win in the discipline.
“I don’t know what to say, I am so happy and I have a lot of emotions,” the 29-year-old Holdener said. “It’s a dream come true and I fight really hard for this one so I’m super happy.”
It was a first individual World Cup success for the 31-year-old Swenn Larsson of Sweden.
“I gave it all and to be tied first when I came into the finish was such a relief,” she said. “In the end it’s perfect so now we can share our first win together.”
Holdener had finished the first run 0.21 seconds behind Shiffrin. When Holdener crossed the line to find she had exactly matched the combined time of Swenn Larsson, both skiers appeared shocked and delighted.
They then had to wait for Shiffrin, the overall World Cup champion, who was favorite to claim another win in Killington.
Shiffrin had won all five World Cup slaloms held there and also emerged victorious in the two season-opening slalom races last weekend.
While Shiffrin hails from Vail, Colorado, she can almost consider Killington a hometown race as she honed her skills nearby at the Burke Mountain Academy as a teenager.
Despite being cheered on by a passionate crowd, Shiffrin had a disappointing second run after losing time on the lower half of the course.
Katharina Truppe of Austria was third—0.22 behind Holdener and Swenn Larsson—and ahead of Olympic champion and last season’s World Cup slalom winner Petra Vlhová.
