PREVIEW LADIES' SLALOM – TUESDAY 3 JAN 2017
Shiffrin looking for record eighth consecutive slalom victory
> Mikaela Shiffrin can win a World Cup slalom race a record-equalling
eighth successive time, equalling Vreni Schneider (1988-1989) and
Janica Kostelic (2000-2001).
> Shiffrin has won the last 12 World Cup slalom races in which she
started and 14 of the last 15. The only exception in this run is a thirdplace finish in Flachau in 2015.
> The last winner of a slalom race besides Shiffrin is Veronika VelezZuzulová when she won in Flachau in January 2016. Shiffrin did not
compete in that race due to injury.
> The last time Shiffrin failed to make the podium in a World Cup slalom
race in which she competed was in Åre in December 2014 (fourth).
> Only Marlies Schild (35) and Vreni Schneider (34) have won more
ladies' World Cup slalom races than Shiffrin (23).
> At 21 years of age Shiffrin, has won 26 World Cup races in total. Only
Annemarie Moser-Pröll (41) and Ingemar Stenmark (27) won more
before turning 22.
> Shiffrin can equal Phil Mahre in third place all-time among U.S. skiers
(men and women) by winning her 27th World Cup race. Only Lindsey
Vonn (76) and Bode Miller (33) have won more.
> Shiffrin has won the Zagreb slalom twice and has only won the Åre
slalom more often (3 times).
Velez-Zuzulová poised to defeat Shiffrin
> Veronika Velez-Zuzulová finished second in the last three World Cup
slalom races, in Killington, Sestriere and Semmering.
> The last woman to record at least four consecutive second places in
World Cup slalom races was Janica Kostelic. She claimed four
consecutive second places between 23 January 2015 and 22
December 2015.
> Velez-Zuzulová can become the first woman to finish second in the
first four World Cup slalom races of a season.
> Velez-Zuzulová (13) can equal Pernilla Wiberg (14) in second place
among women with most second-place finishes in a World Cup slalom
race (14). Only Frida Hansdotter has more second place finishes in this
discipline (15).
Information provided by
> Velez-Zuzulová's last World Cup victory came in Flachau where she
recorded two victories in a row on 12 and 15 January 2016.
> She can become the second oldest woman to win a World Cup slalom
race, following Marlies Schild. Velez-Zuzulová will be 32 years and 172
days on 3 January. Schild was 32 years and 212 days when she won
the slalom in Lienz in December 2013.
> Velez-Zuzulová's best and only podium finish in Zagreb was a thirdplace finish in 2007/08. Besides that podium finish, she never finished in
the top-8 in Zagreb (9 other participations).
Holdener aiming to win first slalom race
> Wendy Holdener finished in second in the World Cup slalom race in
Levi, and three times in a row in third place in Killington, Sestriere and
Semmering.
> No woman has ever recorded at least four consecutive third-place
finishes in World Cup slalom races.
> The last woman from Switzerland to win a World Cup slalom race was
Marlies Öster in Berchtesgaden in 2002.
> Holdener has won two World Cup races: the city event in Stockholm
in February 2016 and the alpine combined in Lenzerheide last March.
> Holdener (8) can surpass Sonja Nef (8) in outright third place for most
World Cup slalom podium finishes among Swiss women. Only Vreni
Schneider (47), Erika Hess (42) and Lise-Marie Morerod (15) claimed
more for Switzerland.
Shiffrin, Velez-Zuzulová and Holdener constant trio
> In the last three World Cup slalom races, Shiffrin finished first, ahead
of Veronika Velez-Zuzulová in second place and Wendy Holdener in
third.
> Only in the first World Cup slalom race this season in Levi, Petra
Vlhová claimed the third spot, trailing Shiffrin (1st) and Velez-Zuzulová
(2nd).
> This is the first time ever in any discipline, for men or women, the
podium is exactly the same in three consecutive races (in the same
order).
> The record number of successive races with the same men/women on
the podium (random order) within a World Cup discipline is four, set by
Ted Ligety, Marcel Hirscher and Alexis Pinturault in giant slalom (2013).
Information provided by
Other Contenders
> Frida Hansdotter has won three World Cup slalom races in her career
and has amassed a record 15 second places among women in this
event.
> Hansdotter could join Mikaela Shiffrin as the only women with a World
Cup slalom race win in each of the last four World Cup seasons.
> Nina Løseth finished fourth in Semmering last week. She also
finished fourth in Killington earlier this season and has four top-8
finishes in the four slalom races this season.
> Løseth has won one World Cup slalom race, in Santa Caterina last
season.
> Løseth claimed her first ever podium finish in this event in Zagreb
when she finished third on 4 January 2015.
> Løseth can equal the Norwegian ladies' record of two World Cup
slalom wins set by Trine Rognmo-Bakke.
Venue Stats
> Zagreb has hosted World Cup races since 2005 (men's and ladies'
slalom races).
> The inaugural winner in the Croatian capital was Tanja Poutiainen,
when she won the ladies' slalom race on 20 January 2005.
> The first man to win in Zagreb was Mario Matt, winning the men's
slalom in February 2008.
> Marlies Schild has won a record four World Cup races in Zagreb.
Marcel Hirscher follows with three wins. Mikaela Shiffrin and Poutiainen
have two wins.
> Austrian ski racers have won eight World Cup races in Zagreb, four
times as many as the next most successful nations (Finland, France
and United States each two).
International Ski Federation www.fis-ski.com
Gracenote Sports on Twitter @GracenoteGold
Information provided by