SESTRIERE, Italy — Italy's Federica Brignone and Slovak Petra Vlhova shared top spot in the Women's World Cup giant slalom in Sestriere on Saturday with US star Mikaela Shiffrin third best just 0.01sec behind.

Both Brignone — World Cup leader in the discipline — and Vlhova finished with the same overall time of 2min 21.15sec after the two runs in the Italian Alps.

The two skiers also both achieved their 13th World Cup victory.

Brignone, 29, follows in the footsteps of her mother, former Italian skier Maria Rosa Quario, who won the slalom in Sestriere back in 1983.

Olympic giant slalom champion Shiffrin set a blistering time in the second run to move up from fourth position into the final podium position, her 11th of the season.

Brignone had led the first run and despite the fifth-fastest time in the second held on to match 24-year-old slalom specialist Vlhova.

The Italian brings her tally in the giant slalom to seven career wins. She has won three races this season.

Vlhova claimed her fourth win of the season.

Shiffrin — bidding for a fourth straight big crystal globe — leads the overall World Cup standings, with a 233-point advantage on Vlhova with Brignone third 281 points behind the American.

The Italian leads the giant slalom standings 61-points ahead of Shiffrin with Vlhova fourth overall. — AFP