Soldeu-Grandvalira, Andorra • Marlies Schild of Austria won her sixth World Cup slalom of the season Saturday after overall leader Lindsey Vonn and defending champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch crashed out in the opening run on the windy Pyrenees course.
Schild blazed through the 59 gates to clock a best time of 1 minute, 39.44 seconds. She’s one victory shy of 34 slalom wins held by Swiss great Vreni Schneider.
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Vonn started the first run well, but fell after taking a gate wide and slid down the center of the hill.
"It was a surprise not to finish, because the hill is perfect," Vonn told Andorran television RTVA. "So I am disappointed not to have had a good result."
Frida Hansdotter of Sweden trailed Schild by 0.60 seconds, while Kathrin Zettel of Austria was 0.86 seconds back in third.
Hoefl-Riesch, the Olympic slalom gold medalist, failed to finish her second straight slalom when she collided with a flag and spun off the course. The German skier also went off the course in January’s slalom held in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia.
Vonn hasn’t won a slalom since 2009, dominating the World Cup downhill instead.
Despite missing the chance for Vonn to add to her point total, the three-time overall champion still holds a healthy lead with to 1,350 points, 458 more than her nearest rival Tina Maze. The Slovenian finished the race in 11th place, more than two seconds back.
Vonn has a shot at her 51st career win in the giant slalom on Sunday.
"Tomorrow is important for the giant slalom standings, I’m third right now," Vonn said. "So I hope I can make up some points."
Vonn’s teammate, 16-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin, had the best day for the U.S. skiers, finishing 10th after a strong second run.
The 30-year-old Schild won her sixth race in seven slaloms this season. The world slalom champion rallied from her only non-first-place finish of the season to increase her lead to 600 points over Tina Maze’s 361 in the event standings.
"It’s amazing. I have won six races now," Schild said. "Of course, today was a little different because I wasn’t in the lead after the first run. So it is also good for me to know I can win a race coming from behind."
This is the first time Andorra, a small principality tucked between France and Spain, has hosted World Cup events.
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