Petra Vlhova holds off rival Mikaela Shiffrin to take first win of season in Levi to continue fine Finland form

ByPete Sharland

Updated 20/11/2021 at 14:24 GMT

This was billed as a battle between two of the greatest Slalom skiers the sport has ever seen and it certainly didn't disappoint. In the end it was Vlhova who took the win over Shiffrin in a fascinating battle, potentially a sign of things to come this season. There was also a hugely impressive performance from Germany's Lena Duerr.

Defending Overall World Cup champion Petra Vlhova took her first win of the season in the opening Slalom race of the new campaign.

Vlhova led from the first run and had to watch as her great rival Mikaela Shiffrin produced a quick time to put the pressure on.

But Vlhova was more than up for the challenge, and she put down the best time of the second run to beat Shiffrin and German surprise package Lena Duerr.

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It is Vlhova’s 21st career win and the first victory with her new coach, Swiss Mauro Pini, who has been trying to hone her technique to give her an advantage.

“I'm starting to love Finland," Vlhova said after the race. "I don’t know why but here in this kind of snow I love to ski here, it’s something special for me,

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“It’s not often I win every year on the same slope but here I do it and I’m really happy because it wasn’t easy."

The question on everyone's lips was what will Vlhova call her newest reindeer? A prize for the victor of the Finnish race.

I was thinking in case I would win, I was thinking about two names, maybe I will call it Michal, he’s my boyfriend!

"He’s here and he’s the love of my life, so it’s for him this victory today."

Vlhova: There's just something about Finland!

The win also keep up a remarkable run with Vlhova or Shiffrin having won the opening slalom of the season going back to 2014, when Tina Maze claimed victory.

The story of the day might have been Duerr though, who recorded her first podium since 2013.

'Calm, cool and calculated!' - Duerr's brilliant run earns her first podium since 2013

Just behind her in fourth was rising star Andreja Slokar, the 24-year-old Slovakian taking fourth after winning the Parallel last weekend.

Swedish star Anna Swenn Larsson, who was affected so much by Covid-19 last season, demonstrated her return to form with a strong fifth-placed finish.

It was a tough ski in the second run. The piste was causing problems with Norwegian skiers Kristin Lysdahl and Maria Therese Tviberg going off at exactly the same gate in successive runs.

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