Croatian skier Zrinka Ljutic dominates 1st run of World Cup slalom on course set by her father

SEMMERING, Austria (AP) — With injured star Mikaela Shiffrin not racing, Croatian skier Zrinka Ljutic dominated the opening run of a women’s World Cup slalom on Sunday, posting the best time by far on a course set by her father and coach.

After Amir Ljutic placed the 63 gates on the Zauberberg course, his daughter found the fastest line to finish her run well ahead of the field in the final race of the calendar year.

“I think my dad is happy. He was a bit nervous, this was his first time as a course setter,” Ljutic told Austrian TV.

The course setter for each run of a World Cup race, usually a coach from one of the participating nations, is determined by lot before the season. The second run will be set by Swedish coach Sascha Soria.

Ljutic has earned five World Cup podiums over the past two years but is yet to win a race.

“I really wanted to attack, the course required this from me. I wanted to be very active and let the skis go on the more straight parts,” Ljutic said.

The last female skier from Croatia to win a World Cup race was four-time Olympic champion Janica Kostelic, in March 2006.

Lena Duerr of Germany, who trailed by 0.51 seconds, and Camille Rast of Switzerland, who was 0.98 behind, were the only racers who finished less than a second off the pace.

Rast won the previous slalom, in Killington, Vermont, four weeks ago, after Shiffrin had triumphed in the first two races in the discipline this season.

Shiffrin is recovering from abdominal surgery to clean out a deep wound she suffered in a GS crash on Nov. 30 in Killington. There is no date set for her return.

In Shiffrin’s absence, AJ Hurt was the only American racer to qualify for the second run.

Lindsey Vonn, who last week returned to World Cup racing after nearly six years away from the circuit, competes only in the speed events of downhill and super-G.

Olympic slalom champion Petra Vlhova is out indefinitely after she suffered a setback in her recovery from knee surgery last season.