Wendy Holdener has won back-to-back slalom World Cup races ©Getty Images

Wendy Holdener got the better of slalom superstars Mikaela Shiffrin and Petra Vlhová in Sestriere to win a second Alpine Ski World Cup race in a row in the discipline.

While Holdener was a joint winner in Killington two weeks ago, the Swiss won outright today after back-to-back second-quickest runs.

Holdener said her second run of 57.54sec is "the best run I showed in a race" as she leapfrogged halfway leader Vlhová to claim the win.

American Shiffrin, the defending overall World Cup champion, was 0.47 off the pace in second and Vlhová 0.70 behind Holdener.

Vlhová won last year's slalom crystal globe and insisted she was happy with another podium finish, despite "a few little mistakes" spoiling her victory chances.

It is Vlhová's fourth third-place finish of the season and she has more podiums than any other skier.

Swedish teenager Hanna Aronsson Elfman was fourth - a best-ever World Cup finish - and American Paula Moltzan fifth.

Mikaela Shiffrin remains the overall Alpine Ski World Cup leader ©Getty Images
Mikaela Shiffrin remains the overall Alpine Ski World Cup leader ©Getty Images

This is Holdener fifth World Cup victory and she and Shiffrin are tied for the season's slalom lead on 325 points.

Holdener has twice won the Alpine combined world title and is an Olympic silver and bronze medallist in slalom.

In the overall World Cup standings, Shiffrin is top with 385 versus Holdener's 366.

Slovakia's Vlhová has 340 points in third.

The women's Alpine Ski World Cup circuit now heads across the Italian-Swiss border to St Moritz, where two downhill races and a super-G are scheduled from Friday (December 16).