Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin took gold in the women's slalom event in Aspen ©Getty Images

Olympic and world champion Mikaela Shiffrin bounced back from disappointment in the giant slalom by clinching gold in the opening slalom race of the season on home snow at the International Ski Federation (FIS) Alpine Skiing World Cup in Aspen.

Shiffrin, gold medallist at Sochi 2014, looked on course for victory yesterday before crashing out three gates from the finish in her second run, handing the win to Switzerland’s Lara Gut, but made no such errors this time around as she posted a commanding combined time of 1min 39.81sec.

The result gave her the biggest winning margin in the history of the slalom race at the FIS World Cup, with Veronika Velez Zuzulová of Slovakia 3.07 adrift in second place.

Sweden's Frida Hansdotter, World Championships silver medallist, rounded off the podium by coming through to take third.

But the day belonged to the 20-year-old American star, whose triumph was her first-ever on home snow and handed her a 15th World Cup crown.

She laid down a benchmark with a blistering time of 48.01sec in her opening run, before she consolidated that display by clocking 51.80 in the second to break the winning margin record in the event, bettering the three seconds achieved by French skier Florence Steurer in March 1968.

American Mikaela Shiffrin was in superb form as she powered to slalom gold to earn her first World Cup title on home snow
American Mikaela Shiffrin was in superb form as she powered to slalom gold to earn her first World Cup title on home snow ©Getty Images

"I really charged and I fought hard in the second run," Shiffrin said.

"It was a big disappointment so I had some anger and I kind of took that into today I think.

"The second run today was a little dark with some rough spots and couple of holes here and there.

"I just put my skis down the hill and stressed I was going in the right direction.

"It's probably one of those things that won't happen again, but I am glad it happened today."

Zuzulová never looked likely of surpassing Shiffrin’s formidable time but appeared in good form and was satisfied with the silver medal.

"For sure I am really happy about today's result," she said.

"It's my best start to the season ever."

The FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup event concludes tomorrow with another slalom race.



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