Mikaela Shiffrin passed Bode Miller for second on the all-time U.S. list for World Cup wins with her first giant slalom victory of the Olympic season in Courchevel, France, on Tuesday.
Shiffrin, the youngest Olympic slalom champion, prevailed by .99 of a second combining two runs over world champion Tessa Worley of France. Italian Manuela Moelgg was third.
Shiffrin also became the first U.S. Alpine skier to mathematically clinch an Olympic berth, more than one month before the team will be announced.
Shiffrin, 22, now has 34 World Cup wins, second to Lindsey Vonn‘s 78 in U.S. history. Vonn had six wins at the same age.
Shiffrin has three victories this season in three different disciplines — downhill, giant slalom and slalom.
She’s going for a second straight World Cup overall title and increased her standings lead Tuesday in the 11th of 37 scheduled races.
Shiffrin is the Olympic slalom favorite and a medal contender in the giant slalom and super combined.
“If people think I can win a couple of medals that’s actually just a compliment for me, it’s not really pressure,” Shiffrin said, according to The Associated Press. “I don’t even have to go to the Olympics. But I would go because I want to, because it’s an incredible stage to perform and because I want to share my passion for ski racing with the world. I take it as an opportunity, not as a pressure.”
She was the world’s second-ranked giant slalom skier last season behind Worley.
Shiffrin races a parallel slalom in Courchevel on Wednesday with coverage on the Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, NBCSports.com/live and the NBC Sports app (full Alpine season broadcast schedule here).
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1. Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) — 2:02.40
2. Tessa Worley (FRA) — +.99
3. Manuela Moelgg (ITA) — +1.01
DNF. Patricia Mangan (USA)
DNF. Nina O’Brien (USA)