Ljutic makes it back-to-back World Cup wins in women’s slalom for standings lead

KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia (AP) —

Croatian skier Zrinka Ljutic made it back-to-back World Cup wins in women’s slalom to take the lead in the standings on Sunday.

The 20-year-old Ljutic won her first title at Semmering, Austria last week and quickly followed up with her second at Kranjska Gora. Ljutic was joint-fastest with Wendy Holdener in their first run, then 0.16 seconds faster than the Swiss skier in the second.

“I didn’t know how Wendy, how well she skied," Ljutic said. "I just had my own sort of idea and I was really focusing on myself. I kind of decided the tempo of the course of the run, how I want to ski. And I really tried to stick to that vision and I made it, it was enough. So that’s even better."

Anna Swenn-Larsson of Sweden was third, 1.19 behind Ljutic.

With injured star Mikaela Shiffrin not racing, Ljutic seized the lead in the discipline standings on 309 points, four ahead of former leader Camille Rast, who was fourth, 1.36 behind.

Rast maintained her record of not finishing outside the top five slalom placings this season. The Swiss skier won her debut World Cup race in Killington on Dec. 1.

Ljutic leads the overall standings on 456 points, nine ahead of Sweden’s Sara Hector, who was sixth after winning the giant slalom the day before.

Ljutic, who will turn 21 later this month, said her success seven days earlier spurred her on again.

“Especially now after this nice result in Semmingen, I really had a big appetite, I obviously wanted to repeat that and I felt in some sense powerful and dominant,” Ljutic said. “But again, I knew that I cannot now focus on just like the time and the win, I have to do my things before that in order to make possible that it happens. And it happened. So I’m just grateful.”

Defending champion Shiffrin, who triumphed in the first two races in the discipline this season, is recovering from abdominal surgery to clean out a deep wound she suffered in a giant slalom crash on Nov. 30 in Killington.

In Shiffrin’s absence, Katie Hensien was the highest placed American skier in 12th.

From left, second placed Switzerland's Wendy Holdener, the winner Croatia's Zrinka Ljutic and third placed Sweden's Anna Swenn Larsson celebrate after an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom race, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Piermarco Tacca)

The winner Croatia's Zrinka Ljutic celebrates after an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom race, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Piermarco Tacca)

From left, second placed Switzerland's Wendy Holdener, the winner Croatia's Zrinka Ljutic and third placed Sweden's Anna Swenn Larsson celebrate after an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom race, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Piermarco Tacca)

The winner Croatia's Zrinka Ljutic celebrates with her team after an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom race, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Piermarco Tacca)

Croatia's Zrinka Ljutic speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom race, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Piermarco Tacca)

Croatia's Zrinka Ljutic reacts after winning an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom race in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Croatia's Zrinka Ljutic reacts after winning an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom race in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

ST. LOUIS (AP) — World champions Ilia Malinin and the ice dance duo of Madison Chock and Evan Bates will anchor one of the strongest U.S. Figure Skating teams in history when they head to Italy for the Milan Cortina Olympics in less than a month.

Malinin, fresh off his fourth straight national title, will be the prohibitive favorite to follow in the footsteps of Nathan Chen by delivering another men's gold medal for the American squad when he steps on the ice at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.

Chock and Bates, who won their record-setting seventh U.S. title Saturday night, also will be among the Olympic favorites, as will world champion Alysa Liu and women's teammate Amber Glenn, fresh off her third consecutive national title.

U.S. Figure Skating announced its full squad of 16 athletes for the Winter Games during a made-for-TV celebration Sunday.

"I'm just so excited for the Olympic spirit, the Olympic environment," Malinin said. “Hopefully go for that Olympic gold.”

Malinin will be joined on the men's side by Andrew Torgashev, the all-or-nothing 24-year-old from Coral Springs, Florida, and Maxim Naumov, the 24-year-old from Simsbury, Connecticut, who fulfilled the hopes of his late parents by making the Olympic team.

Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were returning from a talent camp in Kansas when their American Airlines flight collided with a military helicopter and crashed into the icy Potomac River in January 2025. One of the last conversations they had with their son was about what it would take for him to follow in their footsteps by becoming an Olympian.

“We absolutely did it,” Naumov said. “Every day, year after year, we talked about the Olympics. It means so much in our family. It's what I've been thinking about since I was 5 years old, before I even know what to think. I can't put this into words.”

Chock and Bates helped the Americans win team gold at the Beijing Games four years ago, but they finished fourth — one spot out of the medals — in the ice dance competition. They have hardly finished anywhere but first in the years since, winning three consecutive world championships and the gold medal at three straight Grand Prix Finals.

U.S. silver medalists Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik also made the dance team, as did the Canadian-born Christina Carreira, who became eligible for the Olympics in November when her American citizenship came through, and Anthony Ponomarenko.

Liu was picked for her second Olympic team after briefly retiring following the Beijing Games. She had been burned out by years of practice and competing, but stepping away seemed to rejuvenate the 20-year-old from Clovis, California, and she returned to win the first world title by an American since Kimmie Meissner stood atop the podium two decades ago.

Now, the avant-garde Liu will be trying to help the U.S. win its first women's medal since Sasha Cohen in Turin in 2006, and perhaps the first gold medal since Sarah Hughes triumphed four years earlier at the Salt Lake City Games.

Her biggest competition, besides a powerful Japanese contingent, could come from her own teammates: Glenn, a first-time Olympian, has been nearly unbeatable the past two years, while 18-year-old Isabeau Levito is a former world silver medalist.

"This was my goal and my dream and it just feels so special that it came true,” said Levito, whose mother is originally from Milan.

The two pairs spots went to Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea, the U.S. silver medalists, and the team of Emily Chan and Spencer Howe.

The top American pairs team, two-time reigning U.S. champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, were hoping that the Finnish-born Efimova would get her citizenship approved in time to compete in Italy. But despite efforts by the Skating Club of Boston, where they train, and the help of their U.S. senators, she did not receive her passport by the selection deadline.

“The importance and magnitude of selecting an Olympic team is one of the most important milestones in an athlete's life,” U.S. Figure Skating CEO Matt Farrell said, "and it has such an impact, and while there are sometimes rules, there is also a human element to this that we really have to take into account as we make decisions and what's best going forward from a selection process.

“Sometimes these aren't easy," Farrell said, “and this is not the fun part.”

The fun is just beginning, though, for the 16 athletes picked for the powerful American team.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Amber Glenn competes during the women's free skating competition at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Alysa Liu skates during the "Making Team USA" performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Maxim Naumov skates during the "Making Team USA" performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Madison Chock and Evan Bates skate during the "Making the Team" performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Gold medalist Ilia Malinin arrives for the metal ceremony after the men's free skate competition at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)