Mikaela Shiffrin: American returns from six-week injury lay-off to clinch slalom title

Mikaela Shiffrin on the podium in Are, Sweden with second-placed Croat Zrinka Ljutic and Switzerland's Michelle GisinGetty Images

Mikaella Shiffrin won the first World Cup race of her career in Are, Sweden, aged 17, in 2012

Mikaela Shiffrin returned from six weeks out with a knee injury to win the women's slalom in Are, Sweden.

The American's 96th win of her World Cup career, which extended her own record, also marked an eighth season slalom title.

That equalled a record shared by compatriot Lyndsey Vonn, for downhill, and Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark, in the giant slalom and slalom.

"I am proud of myself," said Shiffrin, who turns 29 next week.

She had to be airlifted to hospital after crashing out of a downhill race in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, on 26 January, but the injury she sustained - sprained knee ligaments - was not as bad as first feared.

Shiffrin's lay-off means she is now too far behind in the race for the overall women's season title, including races in every discipline, but with Slovakia's Olympic gold medallist Petra Vlhova sustaining a season-ending knee injury in January, she was not seriously pushed for the slalom title.

Victory in Sweden means Shiffrin's closest remaining challenger, Germany's Lena Durr, can no longer catch her with one slalom race of the season remaining.

Shiffrin pulled out a stunning second run in Are to clinch the title, finishing 1.24 seconds ahead of 20-year-old Croat Zrinka Ljutic, while Switzerland's Michelle Gisin was third.

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