BEAVER CREEK, Colo. (AP) Jessica Lindell-Vikarby of Sweden won a World Cup giant slalom Sunday, holding off 18-year-old American Mikaela Shiffrin with a fluid final run.
Lindell-Vikarby finished the two runs on a demanding Beaver Creek course in 2 minutes, 17.92 seconds, with Shiffrin 0.09 seconds behind. Tina Weirather
of Liechtenstein took third.
Shiffrin is a slalom specialist who has worked all offseason on improving her giant slalom technique. This was her first top-three finish in the event.
The teenager was accorded the Lindsey Vonn treatment by fans. They cheered the skier from nearby Eagle-Vail by ringing cow bells and holding signs with her picture on it. Vonn skipped the race to rest her right knee after a recent crash during training.
