Vlhova powered down the second of her two runs beneath the floodlights for a mixed time of 1 minute 59.05 seconds, edging out second-placed Katharina Liensberger of Austria by simply 5 hundredths of a second.
Switzerland’s Michelle Gisin, who claimed her first slalom World Cup win in Semmering final week, accomplished the rostrum of Sunday’s occasion.
Shiffrin, who has solely not too long ago returned to the circuit after the surprising dying of her father Jeff final yr, was looking for her fifth victory on the iconic venue, simply outdoors the Croatian capital, however got here up simply brief.
A high quality second run boosted the American’s hopes, however first Gisin then the opposite podium finishers edged forward, leaving her zero.27 seconds off the tempo.
Vlhova has consolidated her lead within the total World Cup and particular person slalom standings together with her 11th profession victory, however acknowledged it had been an in depth run factor with situations robust for the later starters on the second run.
“As we speak was a very robust day and particularly the second spherical however I discovered one thing and pushed extra earlier than the end,” she informed Eurosport.
“After I noticed I used to be solely the 11th quickest within the second run, I believed I used to be for certain out of the rostrum, however then the inexperienced mild confirmed up and I could not imagine it.”
Three-time World Cup total champion Shiffrin has been concentrating on her favored technical occasions since her return, claiming her 67th win within the Courchevel large slalom final month.
Sunday’s race was her sixth in slalom with no victory, however she insisted “issues are getting in a superb path” in solely her sixth race again following her prolonged break.
Shiffrin received two golds on the final world championships in 2019 however has but to determine on whether or not to defend her Tremendous-G crown at subsequent month’s championships in Cortina, Italy, having finished little particular coaching within the velocity occasions.
However with the three podium finishers in Zagreb in high quality kind and with Shiffrin returning to her finest the stage is ready for a battle royal for medals within the slalom and large slalom races on the championships.