Nov 30, 2024; Killington, Vermont, USA; Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States in the first run of the women's giant slalom at the Stifel Killington Cup alpine skiing race at Killington Resort. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers
(Reuters) - Mikaela Shiffrin put herself in position to secure a record-extending 100th career World Cup win on Saturday as the American posted the fastest time in the opening run of the giant slalom in Killington, Vermont.
Shiffrin finished in 55.78 seconds to open a 0.32-second advantage over Sara Hector of Sweden. Norway's Thea Louise Stjernesund was third and trails by 0.61 seconds.
The second and final run of the giant slalom starts at 1 p.m. ET (1800 GMT).
Even if Shiffrin misses out on reaching 100 World Cup wins later on Saturday, she will have another chance at the milestone on Sunday when she races in the slalom.
Shiffrin has won the slalom event at Killington in six of the seven years it has been held there.
The 29-year-old American began the season needing three victories to reach the century mark on the World Cup circuit and set herself up to accomplish the feat on home snow with back-to-back slalom victories in Finland and Austria over the last two weeks.
Shiffrin established herself as the most successful Alpine skier in World Cup history, male or female, when she topped retired Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark's decades-old record of 86 World Cup victories in March 2023.
The closest woman on the all-time list is Lindsey Vonn with 82.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; editing by Clare Fallon)
