Mikaela Shiffrin ties record as she clinches her sixth overall World Cup skiing title

• Shiffrin holds off challenge from Germany’s Emma Aicher

• US star ties record set by Annemarie Moser-Pröll in 1970s

Mikaela Shiffrin secured a record-tying sixth women’s overall World Cup skiing title by holding off a challenge from Germany’s Emma Aicher in the final race of the season.

Shiffrin needed only to finish in the top 15 of Wednesday’s giant slalom in Lillehammer, and the American secured that before Aicher had even began her second run. Shiffrin finished 11th and Aicher – who needed to win the race and hope that Shiffrin finished 16th or worse to clinch her first title – finished 12th.

Shiffrin was only 17th after the first run but came down in first position in the second and then clinched it when the next two starters placed behind her.

After she was told she had won the title, Shiffrin dropped to her knees, put her hand to her face and appeared to be in tears as she asked her team, “Are you sure?”