Katharina Liensberger slaloms to second gold of alpine skiing World Championships
A perfect second run saw the Austrian skier add the women's slalom title to her tally at Cortina d'Ampezzo, ahead of Vlhova and Shiffrin
Alpine Skiing
Austria has a new alpine skiing star, and her name is Katharina Liensberger.
Days after winning her maiden world title at the 2021 FIS World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, the 23-year-old has added a second gold in the women's slalom.
Slovakia's Petra Vlhova finished in second, while defending champion Mikaela Shiffrin was third fastest after the two runs.
"I really gave it my all today and I've worked so hard for it, every single day in preparation," Liensberger, who has eight World Cup podiums but no victories on the circuit, said after.
"Especially in the slalom, it’s been so often, so close (to gold). I won this race and it means so much to me." - Katharina Liensberger.
Liensberger becomes the first women to beat four-time winner Shiffrin in the slalom at a world championships.
But the American was in positive mood after claiming her fourth podium in as many races at Cortina 2021.
“It’s been a pretty incredible couple of weeks,” Shiffrin told Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA after the race.
“I never imagined that I could win four medals in one world championships.”
Earlier in the week, the two-time Olympic champion won the Super Combined, with silver in the Giant Slalom and bronze in the Super-G.
The world championships finish on Sunday (21 February) with the men’s slalom event.