Shiffrin adds slalom to golden December

LIENZ, Austria: Mikaela Shiffrin notched up her fourth World Cup win this month with a storming slalom success at Lienz on Thursday.

The in-form American had all of her main rivals trailing by over a second after the first leg.

And the 22-year-old from Colorado avoided disaster in the second run with her mother Eileen on hand to cheer her home.

She enjoyed a 0.89sec advantage over Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener with Frida Hansdotter of Sweden at 1.22sec back in third. Shiffrin’s 36th World Cup success followed wins in the parallel slalom and giant slalom at Courchevel last week.

That double in the French Alps came on top of the three-time world slalom champion and defending Olympic gold medallist’s demonstration of her all-round skill with her first ever downhill victory in this Olympic year in Lake Louise at the start of the month. She has a chance to make it five wins in December in the giant slalom at Lienz on Friday.

Paris wins crash-marred downhill: Italian Dominik Paris snatched his first win of the season at home as the men’s World Cup downhill saw some spectacular crashes as it returned to Bormio on Thursday. The 28-year-old clocked 1min 56.95sec, finishing ahead of Norwegian pair Aksel Lund Svindal and Kjetil Jansrud at .04sec and 0.17sec respectively. Despite the race being pushed back nearly an hour to clear overnight snowfall the technically difficult Stelvio proved treacherous with Germany’s Dominik Schwaiger airlifted off the piste after losing control and tumbling down the slope. He escaped serious injury, sustaining bruising to the right side of his body. France’s Matthieu Bailet suffered a dislocated and broken left shoulder with compatriot Guillermo Fayed and American Travis Ganong also crashing out but without serious injury. Paris however stormed down the piste claiming his second win in the Italian Alpine resort he knows well after 2012 — and the ninth World Cup victory of his career. It was the Italian men’s team’s first podium finish of the season, with their women’s team on six, as they prepare for the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang from February 9 to 25. The 34-year-old Svindal — winner in Beaver Creek and Val Gardena and the last time the race was held in Bormio four years ago — extended his lead in the World Cup downhill standings. “Bormio is always tough.

I’m happy with my race, but the fresh snow slowed it down a bit,” added the 2010 Olympic downhill champion, making his way back this season after a knee injury. Olympic champion Matthias Mayer of Austria finished sixth fastest, with the next men’s World Cup downhill race in Wengen, Switzerland on January 13.