Shiffrin claims fourth season title with giant slalom win
(dpa)
Berlin - Mikaela Shiffrin clinched a record-tying fourth World Cup crystal globe for the season when she won Sunday's women's giant slalom.
On the last day of the World Cup season in Soldeu, Andorra, the US skier - needing three points to make sure of the discipline title - led from the first run to post a combined time of 2 minutes 23.17 seconds.
Shiffrin led by more than a second towards the end of her second run but almost lost her balance, recovering to keep a 0.30-second lead over 17-year-old New Zealander Alice Robinson, who claimed her first World Cup podium place.
Slovenia's Petra Vlhova, who had only an outside chance of beating Shiffrin to the discipline title, was third at 0.41 seconds.
Germany's Victoria Rebensburg, lying second after the first run, made a mistake late on her second run to slip to fifth behind France's Tessa Worley.
It is a first GS crystal globe for 24-year-old Shiffrin who has equalled a women's World Cup record of four titles in a season jointly held by Lindsey Vonn (2010, 2012) and Tina Maze (2013).
She already had the overall crown for a third consecutive season, plus the slalom and super-g trophies - and with the GS it is the first time a skier has won those four titles together in a season.
Shiffrin ends the winter extending her win record to 17 for the season and moves to 60 career victories.
Sunday's win gives her 615 points in the final GS standings, ahead of Vlhova (478) and Worley (460).
Overall, she finishes on 2,204 points, ahead of Vlhova (1,355) and Switzerland's Wendy Holdener (1,079).
In the men's slalom, France's Noel Clement led after the first run, 0.84 seconds ahead of Ramon Zenhaeusern of Switzerland.
Fellow Swiss Daniel Yule was third while Austrian overall World Cup winner Marcel Hirscher, who has also sealed the slalom and giant slalom titles, was lying sixth.
Shiffrin led by more than a second towards the end of her second run but almost lost her balance, recovering to keep a 0.30-second lead over 17-year-old New Zealander Alice Robinson, who claimed her first World Cup podium place.
Slovenia's Petra Vlhova, who had only an outside chance of beating Shiffrin to the discipline title, was third at 0.41 seconds.
Germany's Victoria Rebensburg, lying second after the first run, made a mistake late on her second run to slip to fifth behind France's Tessa Worley.
It is a first GS crystal globe for 24-year-old Shiffrin who has equalled a women's World Cup record of four titles in a season jointly held by Lindsey Vonn (2010, 2012) and Tina Maze (2013).
She already had the overall crown for a third consecutive season, plus the slalom and super-g trophies - and with the GS it is the first time a skier has won those four titles together in a season.
Shiffrin ends the winter extending her win record to 17 for the season and moves to 60 career victories.
Sunday's win gives her 615 points in the final GS standings, ahead of Vlhova (478) and Worley (460).
Overall, she finishes on 2,204 points, ahead of Vlhova (1,355) and Switzerland's Wendy Holdener (1,079).
In the men's slalom, France's Noel Clement led after the first run, 0.84 seconds ahead of Ramon Zenhaeusern of Switzerland.
Fellow Swiss Daniel Yule was third while Austrian overall World Cup winner Marcel Hirscher, who has also sealed the slalom and giant slalom titles, was lying sixth.