'Super special': Sensational Shiffrin wins on home snow

Another week, another Slalom masterclass from Mikaela Shiffrin (USA/Atomic).

The American superstar dominated on the short skis for the third consecutive weekend, crushing the field by more than one-and-a-half seconds in the Copper Mountain Slalom on Sunday to win her 104th World Cup race.

Dating back to the World Cup finals last March, Shiffrin has now won four consecutive Slalom races, with all four victories coming by more than a second as the rest of the tour struggles to get anywhere near her.

On Sunday, not even a second-run charge by runner-up Lena Duerr (GER/Head, +1.57s) and a third straight podium performance by teenage sensation Lara Colturi (ALB/Blizzard, +1.85s) could dislodge Shiffrin from the winner's circle.

"This is super special," the 30-year-old said of winning a World Cup race at home in Colorado for the first time in 10 years and one day, since she triumphed in an Aspen Slalom in 2015.

"Today was stressful," she admitted. "I didn't expect to have so many nerves, but it's special to race at home and this crowd was incredible."

After leading by 0.28 seconds following a solid first run that contained just one small error, Shiffrin had a full second added to that lead in the start gate of the second run after her closest rivals faltered.

As she has done throughout this season, however, the Atomic star didn't play it safe despite her advantage, and instead found the perfect balance of aggression and technique throughout a spectacular second run.

"This run was lights-out amazing," said Shiffrin, who has now won at least four consecutive Slalom races six times in her career. "I felt perfect this run — I connected with the track, and it was beautiful to ski."

With the rest of the world's best Slalom skiers unable to touch her, only the Colorado altitude seemed capable of disrupting Shiffrin's rhythm.

"Ten thousand feet almost stopped me," she said. "I live here and I never get used to it."

Instead, Shiffrin mastered the elevation while helping the United States to become the first national ski association to win 100 women's World Cup Slalom races, of which she has won more than two-thirds (67) by herself.

"It's just mentally going to a place where I pull out my best skiing, despite feeling like it could just as easily swing me off the course," she said in explaining her winning mindset to open the season.

"There's nothing to lose. I'm here because I want to be here, so I might as well push."

One skier who didn't push hard enough in the first run was German veteran Duerr, who played it too cautiously on the relatively straight Swedish set and found herself down in ninth, 1.28 seconds behind Shiffrin.

But the swinging offset gates of the second run, set by the German coaches, suited Duerr's considerable technical skills, and she posted the third-fastest run to move up eight positions and reach her first podium of the season.

"It was so much fun, I'm really happy with my weekend," said Duerr, who recorded a career-best Giant Slalom finish of sixth on Saturday.

"Today was a fight, but yesterday I think it was the most enjoyable GS I ever raced in my life. Today also the second run was really fun."

Duerr's second-run performance made her the only skier other than Shiffrin to top Colturi on the Slalom boards so far this season.

The 19-year-old Albanian has already matched her three podiums across both technical disciplines from a breakout campaign last season, and is fast becoming the biggest rising star on the tour.

After finishing fourth in the first run, the Italian-born teenager almost went out of the course early in the second run before an amazing recovery allowed her to stay on her feet and ultimately ski into provisional second position.

When Katharina Liensberger (AUT/Rossignol, sixth) and Wendy Holdener (SUI/Head, fourth) both failed to surpass her, Colturi's third straight podium was assured — once again alongside Shiffrin.

"I'm inspired by her since I was five years old, and now I'm sharing podiums with her — it's so crazy," Colturi said.

While Colturi continues to soar, it was another day to forget for reigning Slalom Crystal Globe winner Zrinka Ljutic (CRO/Atomic), whose first-run straddle made it two consecutive Slalom DNFs as part of a difficult opening to the season.

Ljutic may decide to respond by hitting the training slope in the next few days, but Shiffrin has something else in mind before heading to Tremblant, Canada, for two Giant Slalom races next weekend.

"Hopefully, so many hours of sleeping," she said. "We only arrived here on Monday from Europe and everybody on this circuit here is pretty tired and ready for a nap."

Click here for full results from Sunday's race.