ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Slovakian skier Petra Vlhova took a big lead in the opening run of women’s World Cup slalom in tough race conditions on Tuesday.

Mikaela Shiffrin trailed by more than six-tenths of a second in second place upon her return to competition following a positive COVID-19 test and missing two races last week.

Vlhova opened the slalom in 55.99 seconds on the Crveni Spust course, where the soft snow surface and gusts whipping up eddies of leaves made for challenging conditions.

“I’m satisfied because I wanted to take advantage from the No. 1,” Vlhova said. “I did it and now it’s going to be a big fight in the second.”

Shiffrin, who was only cleared to race on Monday, started seventh and last of the elite group. The American finished .64 seconds behind and was one of only three racers to finish within a second off Vlhova’s lead.

Vlhova won the last two editions of the traditional first slalom race of the calendar year. The Slovakian has won 10 of the last 16 slaloms, and three of the four this season.

Last week, Vlhova extended her lead over Shiffrin in the discipline standings to 120 points by winning in Lienz, one of the two races Shiffrin missed while quarantining.

Wendy Holdener of Switzerland finished .81 behind and Anna Swenn Larsson of Sweden had .84 to make up in the second leg. Slalom world champion Katharina Liensberger of Austria was 1.17 seconds behind.

At least seven racers, including three from the Swiss team, had to sit out the event after testing positive for COVID-19, which requires a 10-day quarantine and a negative test before being allowed back onto the circuit.

No spectators were allowed at the race on the outskirts of the Croatian capital, which usually is among the best-visited events on the women’s calendar.

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