Ljutic wins back-to-back World Cup women’s slalom events, takes standings lead

Croatian skier Zrinka Ljutic continues her impressive form in women’s slalom, securing back-to-back World Cup wins to take the lead in the standings. The 20-year-old athlete claimed her first title in Semmering, Austria last week and followed it up with another victory in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Ljutic, who was joint-fastest with Wendy Holdener in the first run, managed to outperform the Swiss skier by 0.16 seconds in the second run.

Reflecting on her performance, Ljutic expressed her focus on her own skiing technique rather than her competitors. She emphasized the importance of setting her own tempo and sticking to her vision of the course, which ultimately led to her success. Anna Swenn-Larsson of Sweden finished third, 1.19 seconds behind Ljutic.

With star skier Mikaela Shiffrin sidelined due to injury, Ljutic now leads the discipline standings with 309 points, edging out former leader Camille Rast by four points. Rast, who finished fourth in the race, has maintained a consistent record of top-five finishes in slalom this season. Ljutic also leads the overall standings with 456 points, nine points ahead of Sweden’s Sara Hector.

Ljutic credited her recent success to the motivation gained from her previous win in Semmering. The young skier expressed her determination to replicate her performance and acknowledged the hard work required to achieve such results. Despite her dominance in the sport, Ljutic remains humble and grateful for her accomplishments.

Defending champion Mikaela Shiffrin, who had won the first two races of the season, is currently recovering from abdominal surgery following a crash in a giant slalom event. As Ljutic continues to excel on the World Cup circuit, fans eagerly anticipate her future performances and the exciting competition that lies ahead in the women’s slalom discipline.