Petra Vlhová celebrates her triumph in Levi, Finland, on Saturday, November 11, 2023, on the podium. (source: Giovanni Auletta)
Slovak alpine ski racer Petra Vlhová showed her best form in the first two slalom races of the World Cup 2023 season. On Saturday, November 11 in the Finnish Levi, she convincingly won with a significant lead. On Sunday November 12, she aimed for a winning double. Already in the first run, she had a substantial lead, and in the second run, she increased it, reported Sportnet.
At the first intermediate split, she led by 0.87 seconds, and at the second, by over a second. However, Vlhová ultimately gave away her Sunday victory to Mikaela Shiffrin due to her own mistake.
Shiffrin, Vlhová's competitor from the U.S., confirmed that Vlhová deserved the win. Shiffrin at the finish line also mentioned that Vlhová skied unbelievably well but was unlucky.
The sixth reindeer is named Zuzana
Slovak fans were again happy for Vlhová to get another reindeer on Saturday.
Vlhová demonstrated the fastest run in both rounds and triumphed with a lead of 1.41 seconds over the German Lena Dürr. The traditional reward for the winner in Levi is a reindeer from the local herd. Vlhová now has six of them, with the latest one named Zuzana, after her mother.
A special reward - the sixth reindeer for Vlhová's collection. (source: Giovanni Auletta)
The athlete shared her impressions and emotions with the TV channel JOJ Sport. In a short interview Vlhová confirmed that she was very happy and truly enjoyed the skiing, but she mentioned that she was stressed as it is hard to know what might happen.
Former world champion Šárka Strachová also commented on the success of the Slovak skier and praised her skills. According to Strachová, Vlhová passed the steep section without mistakes, where other racers, including Shiffrin and Dürr, had some minor hesitations.
Point guard deprived Vlhová of the win
If Vlhová had finished the race, she would have attacked the lead from Saturday's slalom in Levi. However, she was eliminated from the competition just before the entry into the steep section due to a mishap on an aggressive part of the slope.
Eurosport expert and former skier Eva Kurfürst explained that there was a tiny unevenness. Kurfürst added that there was also an uneven terrain and her tips reacted differently to the aggressive snow. The tip of Vlhová's ski was thrown.
Timotej Zuzula, the father of successful skier Veronika Velez Zuzulová, called Vlhová's performances in Levi unbelievable. He said it was a pity that Vlhová's ski caught the snow in the wrong direction. However he added that it doesn't change the fact that she is currently unbeatable in slalom.
For TV JOJ, Vlhová's coach Mauro Pini reviewed that the mishap that surprised them. He added that they need to lift their heads, especially Vlhová. Nevertheless, she showed unbelievable results during that weekend, he added.
