ASPEN, Colo. (AP) Mikaela Shiffrin bounced back from a crash the day before to take a big lead following the first run of a World Cup slalom Saturday.
The 20-year-old from nearby Eagle-Vail finished the course set by one of her coaches in 48.01 seconds. She has a 1.38-second advantage over Veronika Velez Zuzulova of Slovakia. Frida Hansdotter of Sweden is third.
On Friday, Shiffrin was in command of a giant slalom race when she fell near the finish. She buried her face in the snow as the crowd went silent.
With memories of that late-race mishap still fresh, Shiffrin said she was jittery before the start of the slalom event. Her mom and coaches had to settle her down.
''They're like, `You know how to do it. Why are you nervous?''' Shiffrin recounted. ''I was nervous, but I still attacked. After the first two gates, I didn't feel the nerves anymore. I was just finding my rhythm again.
''I'm lucky to be in this position and I'm not going to take it for granted,'' she said.
Shiffrin, the reigning Olympic and world slalom champion, has won three straight World Cup races in the discipline dating to last season. She's trying to become the first female skier to win four World Cup slalom races in a row since Marlies Schild of Austria captured five straight in 2011-12. The retired Schild also happens to be one of Shiffrin's childhood idols.
No surprise Shiffrin races a lot like Schild. The resemblance is easy to see for Bernadette Schild, the younger sister of Marlies.
''She skis similar to the way my sister used to ski when she was really good,'' said Bernadette Schild, who went out early in her first run, ending her day. ''She's just sending it.''
It was a tough morning for the typically strong Austrian contingent as the nation's top three racers veered off course. Schild was at a loss to explain why.
''The course wasn't that hard, actually,'' she said. ''Things like that happen.''
This race was scheduled to be held in Levi, Finland, but was relocated because of warm weather there. Aspen will host another slalom race Sunday.
''I know this hill really well now,'' Shiffrin said. ''I think I have an advantage. A lot of these girls aren't used to the terrain and the surface.
''Sometimes, it's tricky to get your mind around the toughness and just hammer anyway.''
