aid. I think the outpouring of support helps the women fee

LEVI, Finland -- Even with less pre-season slalom training than usual, American skier Mikaela Shiffrin keeps dominating her favorite discipline.The Olympic and world champion shifted her focus in practice to super-G and even downhill, but her reign in the slalom discipline has remained unaffected.Shiffrin held on to a comfortable opening-run lead to win the first womens World Cup slalom of the season on Saturday in freezing conditions of minus 9 degrees Celsius (16 degrees Fahrenheit), dropping even more to around minus 14 C (7 F) for the second run.She finished in a two-run combined time of 1 minute, 52.71 seconds, 0.67 ahead of Switzerlands Wendy Holdener.Slovakias Petra Vlhova came 0.75 back in third.Now I almost feel like I wish there was more time before the next races so I could train more and improve more, Shiffrin said about increasing the number of speed events on her schedule.The rest of Saturdays field trailed Shiffrin by at least a second, while Swedens Frida Hansdotter, who was runner-up after the opening leg, failed to finish her second run.I am never confident, really, said Shiffrin, who has won all nine slaloms that she has competed in since February 2015. However, Hansdotter took the slalom title last season as Shiffrin missed five races because of a knee injury.There was a lot of doubt in my mind, Shiffrin said. I was very nervous.Shiffrins ninth consecutive win left her one short of Janica Kostelics record. The Croatian great won 10 straight slaloms that she competed in between December 1999 and February 2001.Still, Shiffrin wouldnt take anything for granted, referring to the strength of her challengers.Frida went out, and Wendy skied really strong but she had a huge mistake the first run, the American said. Without that mistake she would have been even faster, and Petra was really good as well.The victory in northern Finland earned Shiffrin an usual prize -- a reindeer. She got one from her previous win here in 2013 and called him `Rudolph. This time she was going to call him `Sven -- after the reindeer from the movie Frozen.It was Shiffrins 21st career win and 20th in slalom, matching Kostelics number of wins. Only Austrias Marlies Raich (35) and Swiss pair Vreni Schneider (34) and Erika Hess (21) won more slaloms.Racing down the slope in the orange glow of the setting Arctic sun, Shiffrin took a 0.72-second lead over Hansdotter and Holdener, who shared second place after the opening run.While Holdener put pressure on Shiffrin with a near-flawless second attempt, Hansdotter -- last seasons title holder -- straddled a gate when she entered the steep pitch and skied out in the middle section.I really wanted to go for it today, and for sure the end of last season was great, so it gave me confidence, Holdener said. I had to learn to be more aggressive on the skis. I really love skiing and it wasnt easy to focus and give everything.Vlhova skied on the safe side in the first run.We talked with my team that I have to go full gas in second run, Vlhova said. Im happy it worked out.Shiffrin wasnt clean from the start of her final run and had lost 0.13 on Holdener at the first split, but the American accelerated to extend her lead to 0.92 before avoiding risks in the final part of her run.The victory gave Shiffrin, who placed second in the season-opening GS last month, the lead in the overall standings with 180 points, 80 clear of Lara Gut.The overall champion from Switzerland won the race last month but usually does not compete in slaloms.The 18-year-old Melanie Meillard of Switzerland, who was competing in her fourth World Cup race, started in 40th but finished sixth, 1.87 off the lead. Austrias Bernadette Schild, younger sister of retired slalom great Marlies Raich, failed to qualify for the second run after damaging the edge of a ski early in her run and finishing 3.92 seconds behind Shiffrin.A mens slalom on the same course is scheduled for Sunday. Adidas Gazelle Schweiz . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. Nmd r2 Herren Schweiz . Its an influence in football and a big part of the game. http://www.nmdschweizkaufen.ch/ . General manager Jarmo Kekalainen told Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch on Friday that he wants to see Gaboriks contributions go beyond the scoresheet before considering a long-term deal for the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent. Nmd Billig Kaufen Schweiz . Hazard cut in from the left and scored with a swerving right-footed shot for ninth goal of the season, which proved to be enough for the victory despite Chelseas forwards again lacking a cutting edge up front. Ultra Boost Kaufen Schweiz . All of the scoring came in the final 20:04. Lucic scored on a power play at 15:46 of the third period, when he tipped a shot over Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen for a 3-1 lead. At 42, Randi Evans had never had a mammogram. But as a volunteer for a nonprofit that helps women obtain the breast X-ray, the Sherman, Texas, resident felt she needed to be a true advocate for the group.While volunteering with Women Rock at Texas Motorplex in Dallas earlier this month, she received her first mammogram, thanks to a program created by NHRA Funny Car driver Alexis DeJoria. Started three years ago, Free Mammograms for the Fans provides mammograms at no cost to women attending an NHRA event in October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness month.It was an amazing experience, said Evans, a librarian media specialist. I am glad Ive had a mammogram now because it opens up your mind and makes you realize how important early detection is. If I hadnt gone to the races to volunteer, I probably still wouldnt have had a mammogram.Now in its fourth year, the program initially was offered only at the Las Vegas NHRA event. Dallas was added last year, which means women attending those NHRA events on a Friday or Saturday in October can obtain a free mammogram. In the programs first three years, 335 mammograms were provided. During the Oct. 13-16 NHRA event at Dallas, another 55 were added to that total. The programs goal of 100 annually is expected to be reached this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedways The Strip.Every October, we do some sort of pink theme for our car, our crew shirts and our starting line shirts, but we wanted to do something more proactive, DeJoria said of the programs creation.Today, the Baylor Health Care System provides the mammovan in Dallas, and Nevada Health Centers supplies the one used in Las Vegas. It doesnt cost anything to get the mobile units to the dragway, but DeJorias program must cover the expense of each mammogram. She said thats about $276 per person in Dallas and approximately $300 each in Las Vegas.DeJorias fundraising efforts for the program are yearlong. Last year, she had a pretty bad explosion during a run at Seattle, so her team auctioned bits and pieces of the car. Toyota Racing, her teams manufacturer, Patron Spirits Co. and Kalitta Motorsports also make donations.Sherry Fox, mobile account executive for Baylors breast imaging, said she wasnt sure what to expect as far as turnout for the inaugural year at the Dallas NHRA event but was pleased with the results.This is an unusual circumstance, being at the races, Fox said. We have to have a minimum of 20 patients scheduled for a full day and 10 patients for a half-day. I think 26 [women on Friday] and 29 [on Saturday] that didnt even have an appointment is fantastic. I was surprised at the number of repeats that we had. We went to lunch one day, came back, and there were four or fivee women sitting there.dddddddddddd Everyone is so gracious and appreciative.DeJoria said she was a little concerned in the programs inaugural year about how women would react to getting a mammogram while attending an event with a male companion or relative.Its a very masculine-fueled event, and we were concerned that either they would be too embarrassed to do it or too fearful, DeJoria said. Luckily, that was not the case. We had a great outpouring of support from the teams.That first year at Las Vegas, the mammogram van was parked at the end of DeJorias pit. She spent her time between runs welcoming women, trying to make them feel comfortable, holding their hands and letting them know they werent alone. Her father, John Paul DeJoria, attended the event and spent his time meeting the women.DeJorias father owns John Paul Mitchell Systems (known for its Paul Mitchell hair care products), Patron Tequila and John Paul Pet Products. He attended this years Dallas event and plans to be at Las Vegas as well.A lot of women are hair dressers, so they recognize him, and thats a comforting feeling, DeJoria said.DeJoria believes the participation by the women connected to the sport has helped the fans feel more comfortable about getting a mammogram at the mobile units.When they see women from different teams going in there, like the wives of crew chiefs or the moms of drivers with their team shirts on, its like everybody is in this together, DeJoria said. I think the outpouring of support helps the women feel more comfortable in that moment. I have a few letters from women that have come from different states that found out that we were doing this, and they came to the races just to get the mammogram. It just shows its not a fly-by-night idea. Its really working.DeJoria said sometimes the programs success can be a bit emotionally overwhelming.In Dallas, I was signing autographs in between rounds on Sunday, and a woman and her husband came up to me, DeJoria said. She said, I dont want an autograph. I just want to meet you. She grabbed my hands, looked me in the eyes and said, Im a cancer survivor today, and thats because of you. I said, Wow! I wanted to cry. I was trying to keep my composure. Her husband was almost in tears.It was such a special moment. Its things like that that makes the world a better place. I love what I get to do, but also because of what I get to do, I can do things like this.Deb Williams is a North Carolina-based writer and former editor. She has covered auto racing for United Press International, USA Today and The Charlotte Observer. ' ' '