Hector holds off Shiffrin for second World Cup win

Sara Hector held off a second-run charge by Mikaela Shiffrin to win the women’s giant slalom in Courchevel on Wednesday.

It was only the Swede’s second career World Cup victory and her first in seven years.

Hector, who was fastest after the first run, finished in a combined time of 2 minutes 13.03 seconds, 0.35sec ahead of Shiffrin. 

That reversed Tuesday’s result when Shiffrin skied last and won despite a strong second run that lifted Hector to second. 

Italian Marta Bassino finished third at 0.60sec on Wednesday with Frenchwoman Tessa Worley another 0.08sec back in fourth

The 29-year-old Hector’s only previous World Cup victory came in a giant slalom in Kuehtai in Austria in 2014.

“It’s amazing. It’s incredible,” the giddy Hector said at the finish.

“I’m so surprised too. It was such a big fight and I didn’t think I was so fast. It feels so awesome.”

“It’s crazy. I’m so proud.” 

Shiffrin increased her lead in the giant slalom standings to 78 points over Hector. 

The American also built on her lead in the overall, to 115 points over Italian Sofia Goggia who, for the second straight day, failed to finish.

The top seven skiers were separated by less than a second after the first run on a course that grew increasingly bumpy during the second giant slalom down the slope in two days.

The race replaced a giant slalom  in Killington in the United States called off due to bad weather at the end of November.

Austrian Katharina Liensberger and Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami, both in the top 10 in the giant slalom standings, missed the race due to testing positive for Covid-19.