Vail/Eagle, Colo.'s Mikaela Shiffrin gives a victory wave after winning the women's slalom at the Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships last month at Colorado's Winter Park Resort. (USSA/Tom Kelly)
Events

Shiffrin Defends U.S. Slalom Gold

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Winter Park, CO – Audi FIS Alpine World Cup Rookie of the Year Mikeala Shiffrin cracked open the 2012 Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships by defending her slalom gold in sun soaked Winter Park on Wednesday.

Spring conditions and blue skies greeted fans and racers to open the five-day series of races in Winter Park. Shiffrin, of Eagle/Vail, Colo. and a student at Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont, last winter became the youngest U.S. Champion in history. She won both runs on Wednesday to successfully defend her slalom title as Hailey Duke, of Boise, Idaho and the Park City Ski Team in Utah, took silver. Kiley Staples of Park City’s Rowmark Academy rounded out Wednesday’s podium with the bronze medal.

Vail/Eagle, Colo.'s Mikaela Shiffrin gives a victory wave after winning the women's slalom at the Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships on Wednesday at Colorado's Winter Park Resort. (USSA/Tom Kelly)
Vail/Eagle, Colo.'s Mikaela Shiffrin gives a victory wave after winning the women's slalom at the Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships on Wednesday at Colorado's Winter Park Resort. (USSA/Tom Kelly)

“I love skiing in the U.S., winning a race is great, but to be able to drive home and sleep in my own bed is really comforting. There’s certainly an advantage to that,” Shiffrin said following Wednesday’s win. “I remember being one of the young kids running up to get an autograph from athletes like Lindsey Vonn or Sarah Schleper and I truly can’t believe that kids are now looking for my autograph. I hope that I’m able to inspire them as much as the other girls on the U.S. Ski Team have inspired me.”

Shiffrin was also the top junior on the day ahead of a surging Lila Lapanja, of Incline Village, Nev./Sugar Bowl Academy/Diamond Peak, and Paula Moltzan of Lakeville, Minn./Ski and Snowboard Club Vail.

“It was an amazing season,” Shiffrin added. “I hoped for podiums and top 10s in slalom this season and I’m really excited to continue skiing well in Winter Park. Hopefully I can put down some fast runs in giant slalom too. It’s always so much fun to race in Colorado and this is a great way to end great World Cup season.

“I didn’t even know Rookie of the Year was an award so I was extremely flattered. It’s an honor when teammates and other racers are voting and cheering for you.”

The Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships continue Thursday with men’s slalom.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships
Winter Park, Colo. – Mar. 28, 2012
Women’s Slalom

Rank Bib Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time FIS Points
 1  2 SHIFFRIN Mikaela 1995 USA  48.35  51.22  1:39.57  8.78
 2  6 DUKE Hailey 1985 USA  49.28  51.99  1:41.27  19.19
 3  4 STAPLES Kiley 1989 USA  49.56  52.37  1:41.93  23.24
 4  32 LAPANJA Lila 1994 USA  50.78  51.24  1:42.02  23.79
 5  13 MOLTZAN Paula 1994 USA  50.51  52.15  1:42.66  27.71
 6  11 IDE Maisie 1993 USA  49.99  52.76  1:42.75  28.26
 7  10 ROMAR Tii-Maria 1986 FIN  51.26  51.54  1:42.80  28.57
 8  19 HARTMAN Katie 1988 USA  50.60  52.21  1:42.81  28.63
 9  27 CRAWFORD Candace 1994 CAN  51.14  52.17  1:43.31  31.69
 10  21 GHENT Erika 1988 USA  51.21  52.40  1:43.61  33.53


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