Veronika Velez-Zuzulova celebrated her first win on the world cup circuit in almost a year after topping te podium in a slalom race in Zagreb on Tuesday.
ADVERTISEMENTVeronika Velez-Zuzulova celebrated her first win on the world cup circuit in almost a year after topping te podium in a slalom race in Zagreb on Tuesday.
The 32-year old Slovakian was fastest in the first run after overall world cup leader and pre race favourite Mikaela Shiffrin failed to finish.
Shiffrin was hunting an eighth consecutive win in the discipline but still retains her lead in both the general and slalom standings.
Had Shiffrin won in Zagreb she would have matched the record of eight straight victories set by Swiss great Vreni Schneider in 1988-89 and Croatian skier Janica Kostelic in 2000-01.
Velez-Zuzulova took full advantage of the American’s absence to hold onto to her lead in the second run and return to the winners circle for the first time since Flachau, Austria in January of last year.
It was Zuzulova’s fifth career win.
Compatriot Petra Vlhova took the runners up spot in the Croatian capital.
She was 0.24 seconds back as the Slovakian contingent celebrated a fine 1-2 finish.
It was her fifth career podium placing and first since a third place finish in another slalom in Levi Finland in November.
Sarka Strachova of the Czech Republic was 0.52 seconds behind to claim third place.
It was the 2007 Slalom world champion’s first top three finish of the season.
The women’s world cup train next stops off in Maribor Slovenia for a Giant slalom and slalom on Saturday and Sunday respectively.