Eighteen-year-old American skier Mikaela Shiffrin Sunday in Bormio, Italy, battling gnarly conditions to pull out victory by a fraction of a second.
Over two runs, Shiffrin, a Vail, Colorado, native and rising star on the U.S. Ski Team, narrowly edged out Sweden’s Maria Pietilae-Holmner by 0.13 seconds. But, the victory was far from routine. Throughout the competition, snow fell at the top of the course while rain soaked the bottom, forcing spectators to bust out umbrellas.
“It’s always a big confidence booster to have good skiing in different conditions,” Shiffrin told the AP. “I never wanted to be a racer who could only win on hard snow or just soft snow, or just a steep pitch or just a flat. I want to be really good in all-around conditions.”
Shiffrin’s victory extends her lead to win her second consecutive World Cup by 62 points, with four slaloms left in the season. The race also bolsters her credentials for the upcoming Sochi Olympics, which has been plagued with disaster, including unusually warm conditions for the Winter Games.
For more on Shiffrin, check out our photo gallery and profile of the skiing phenom.