Shiffrin can bag WCup slalom title before Olympics

American teenager Mikaela Shiffrin can retain her World Cup slalom title today and become the first skier to secure a crystal globe this winter. Shiffrin can do it by extending her 144-point lead in the discipline standings to more than 200 points in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Winning the discipline title with two slaloms in March to spare would cement her status as the Olympic gold favorite, though carrying the weight of expectations doesn’t seem to bother her. In a teleconference call this week, she said, “I am not really feeling pressure in a negative way. I am using it as fuel for the fire.” – Associated Press