Petra Vlhova of Slovakia took advantage of her height to beat overall World Cup leader Mikaela Shiffrin in both runs of the final and win a parallel slalom city event Tuesday.
The 5-foot-11 (1.80 meters) Vlhova was able to cross check gates out of her way with both fists while the more compact Shiffrin, at 5-foot-7 (1.70 meters), had to maneuver further around the gates.
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Slovakia's Petra Vlahova, center, winner of an alpine ski, women's World Cup parallel slalom, poses on the podium with second placed Mikaela Shiffrin, of the United States, left, and third placed Switzerlands' Wendy Holdener at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (Terje BendiksbyNTB scanpix via AP)
Marco Schwarz of Austria, center, winner of an alpine ski, men's World Cup parallel slalom, poses on the podium with second placed Britain's Dave Ryding left, and third placed Switzerland's Ramon Zenhaeusern, at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (Terje BendiksbyNTB scanpix via AP)
Marco Schwarz of Austria, right, competes alongside Britain's Dave Ryding on his way to win a World Cup parallel slalom, Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (Terje BendiksbyNTB scanpix via AP)
Marco Schwarz of Austria, celebrates in the finish area after winning an alpine ski, men's World Cup parallel slalom, at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (Terje BendiksbyNTB scanpix via AP)
Slovakia's Petra Vlahova, center, winner of an alpine ski, women's World Cup parallel slalom, poses on the podium with second placed Mikaela Shiffrin, of the United States, left, and third placed Switzerlands' Wendy Holdener at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (Terje BendiksbyNTB scanpix via AP)
Marco Schwarz of Austria, center, winner of an alpine ski, men's World Cup parallel slalom, poses on the podium with second placed Britain's Dave Ryding left, and third placed Switzerland's Ramon Zenhaeusern, at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (Terje BendiksbyNTB scanpix via AP)
Cross checking is a key tactic in parallel events, which use wider gates with panels compared to traditional slaloms which have only poles as gates.
Marco Schwarz of Austria, right, competes alongside Britain's Dave Ryding on his way to win a World Cup parallel slalom, Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (Terje BendiksbyNTB scanpix via AP)
Vlhova finished 0.39 seconds ahead of Shiffrin for the sixth victory of her career, and second in five days following a giant slalom win in Semmering, Austria, last week. She led by 0.21 seconds after the first run.
Wendy Holdener of Switzerland beat Anna Swenn Larsson of Sweden for third.
In the men's race, Austria's Marco Schwarz claimed the first World Cup victory of his career when British opponent Dave Ryding missed a gate.
Marco Schwarz of Austria, celebrates in the finish area after winning an alpine ski, men's World Cup parallel slalom, at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (Terje BendiksbyNTB scanpix via AP)
Schwarz's previous best finish was second in a traditional slalom in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, last month.
Ryding was attempting to become the first British skier — man or woman — in the 51-year history of the World Cup to win a race. He also finished second in a traditional slalom in Kitzbuehel, Austria, two years ago.
Ryding eliminated overall World Cup leader Marcel Hirscher in the quarterfinals when Hirscher straddled a gate as he attempted to erase a first-run deficit.
Slovakia's Petra Vlahova, center, winner of an alpine ski, women's World Cup parallel slalom, poses on the podium with second placed Mikaela Shiffrin, of the United States, left, and third placed Switzerlands' Wendy Holdener at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (Terje BendiksbyNTB scanpix via AP)
Ramon Zenhaeusern of Switzerland took third when Olympic champion Andre Myhrer of Sweden skied out in the second run of the small final.
Vlhova and Schwarz, both 23, each won gold medals at the 2012 Youth Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria.
Needing to complete eight runs over four rounds to win in a knockout format, skiers were shuttled back up to the start after each leg following brief pit stops with their ski technicians.
Marco Schwarz of Austria, center, winner of an alpine ski, men's World Cup parallel slalom, poses on the podium with second placed Britain's Dave Ryding left, and third placed Switzerland's Ramon Zenhaeusern, at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. (Terje BendiksbyNTB scanpix via AP)
The night event was held inside the Holmenkollen ski jumping arena, which was used for the 1952 Olympics.
The World Cup resumes with slalom races for men and women in Zagreb, Croatia, this weekend.
Another parallel city event is scheduled for Stockholm, Sweden, on Feb. 19.
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ALTENMARKT-ZAUCHENSEE, Austria (AP) — Lindsey Vonn showed again Saturday she is the standout downhill racer in this Olympic season.
Vonn won her second World Cup downhill in four races this season, raising expectations in this remarkable comeback racing at age 41 with her right knee rebuilt using titanium implants.
The United States star was 0.37 seconds faster than Kajsa Vickhoff Lie in tricky, overcast conditions. Vonn was jumping up cheering in the leader’s box when her teammate Jacqueline Wiles raced into third place, 0.48 back.
On a shortened course that took her fewer than 67 seconds to complete, Vonn still clocked 130 kph (81 mph) for one of the fastest speeds any women racer will hit this season.
“It feels amazing. I try to enjoy every single second I am out here because it is just so fun to go fast,” she said.
Vonn crossed the finish line with a look of determined satisfaction, punching the air with her right fist and nodding with short, sharp movements of her head.
“I knew what it was going to take to win today," she said. "It was a sprint and I had to give it everything I had, definitely had to risk a little bit.”
With each victory, Vonn extends her record as the oldest race winner in the 60-season history of the World Cup circuit. Her 84th career win on the circuit was her record-extending 45th in downhill.
The United States star later made a family video phone call alongside her coach Aksel Lund Svindal, the men’s downhill champion at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics where Vonn took bronze in the women’s race.
Vonn was Olympic downhill champion at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games and shapes as a strong contender for the next gold medal race scheduled Feb. 8 on the first Sunday at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
It is at the storied Cortina d’Ampezzo slope where Vonn has excelled in her career, including a World Cup downhill win eight years ago where Wiles also was third.
“Being on the podium again with her is super special,” Wiles said.
Sofia Goggia, the 2018 Olympic champion, was only 17th Saturday trailing Vonn by 0.97.
The defending Olympic champion, Corinne Suter, made her season debut Saturday after injuries and was more than a second slower than Vonn.
The U.S. team had five racers in the top 20 with world champion Breezy Johnson seventh, 21-year-old Allison Mollin a career-best 14th and Keely Cashman tied for 18th, less than a second behind Vonn.
The race was delayed for 25 minutes while Austrian prospect Magdalena Egger was airlifted from the course after a season-ending fall and crash into the safety nets. She stood up with a bloodied nose, and later tests showed extensive damage to her right knee including a torn ACL, the Austrian ski federation said.
Egger was runner-up in Vonn’s season-opening downhill win last month at St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Vonn extended her lead in the season-long World Cup downhill standings, after finishing second and third in the other races. Saturday’s race was the fourth of nine scheduled downhills in the World Cup this season.
She earned 100 race points and now leads by 129 from Emma Aicher of Germany, who placed sixth Saturday. Vonn is chasing a ninth World Cup downhill season title a full 10 years after her eighth, when she also won in Zauchensee.
“I felt like I was skiing better in super-G this summer," she said, "but when I got to the races in St Moritz everything was working really well right from the start.”
On Sunday, Vonn will start in a super-G that should be on a longer course than the downhill.
AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing
United States' Lindsey Vonn sprays sparkling wine as she celebrates on podium after winning an alpine ski, women's World Cup downhill, in Zauchensee, Austria, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)
United States' Lindsey Vonn is airborne as she speeds down the course to win an alpine ski, women's World Cup downhill, in Zauchensee, Austria, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)
Austria's Magdalena Egger is lifted on a helicopter after crashing during an alpine ski, women's World Cup downhill, in Zauchensee, Austria, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)
Austria's Magdalena Egger gets medical assistance after crashing during an alpine ski, women's World Cup downhill, in Zauchensee, Austria, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)
United States' Lindsey Vonn is airborne as he speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup downhill, in Zauchensee, Austria, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)
United States' Lindsey Vonn reacts at the finish line during an alpine ski, women's World Cup downhill, in Zauchensee, Austria, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)
United States' Lindsey Vonn speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup downhill, in Zauchensee, Austria, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)
