The Latest: Vlhova wins giant slalom, Shiffrin gets bronze
ARE, Sweden (AP) — The Latest from the skiing world championships (all times local):
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6:45 p.m.
Petra Vlhova of Slovakia has won the giant slalom at the world championships, with Mikaela Shiffrin having to settle for third place for her second medal of the event.
Vlhova beat Viktoria Rebensburg by 0.14 seconds after a second run under lights and in strong winds.
Vlhova had already won silver in the Alpine combined, a race Shiffrin skipped to preserve energy for the giant slalom and slalom.
Shiffrin won the super-G.
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3 p.m.
Former Olympic champion Viktoria Rebensburg led by 0.19 seconds after the first run in the giant slalom, with event favorite Mikaela Shiffrin 0.44 adrift in fourth place.
Rebensburg’s strong start gave Germany a good chance of a first medal at the world championships in its eighth event. She won Olympic gold in giant slalom in 2010 and silver in the worlds in 2015.
Petra Vlhova of Slovakia was in second place and Ragnhild Mowinckel was third, 0.37 seconds behind Rebensburg.
Shiffrin went down as the second racer on a course shortened because of strong winds and had a rueful look after crossing the line. The American is seeking a second gold at these worlds — and fifth in her career — after winning the super-G.
Results were not official as lower-ranked skiers were yet to finish.
The second run starts at 5.45 p.m. local time (1645 GMT).
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1:40 p.m.
Seven-time overall World Cup champion Marcel Hirscher is dealing with flu-like symptoms ahead of his only two races at world championships.
Hirscher already canceled a news conference scheduled for Wednesday.
He says in an audio statement to Austrian media that he “did ski some turns but I’m spending most of the time in bed. At the moment I’m not too optimistic that I will be in tip-top shape for tomorrow. But I still have 24 hours to recover.”
Hirscher, slated to be the favorite for the giant slalom and slalom on Friday and Sunday, respectively, adds, “I’m coughing, I have a sore throat and a runny nose. I’m not a doctor but it feels like the flu.”
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1:25 p.m.
The women’s giant slalom will be run on a shortened course.
Because of strong winds, organizers have moved the start down to the reserved start.
The first run is still slated to start at 2:15 p.m. (1315 GMT).
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1 p.m.
Wind and rain could affect the women’s giant slalom at the world championships.
The first run is slated to start at 2:15 p.m. (1315 GMT) and the second run at 5:45 p.m. (1645 GMT).
Amid unseasonably warm weather in the Swedish resort of Are, it was raining on the course 90 minutes before the race was to begin.
Strong winds on the upper section were also an issue.
Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin starts second among 98 competitors.
Shiffrin already won gold in the super-G.
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