Anna Swenn Larsson, fourth after the first run, was best placed among the Swedish women to challenge for the top spots in Courchevel's evening slalom.
But a decent stop in the second run ruined the chance of something really fun and she dropped to 24th place.
National team colleague Hector, seventh after the first run, started somewhat shaky, but found both rhythm and speed and took the lead when she crossed the finish line.
Yes! she screamed in the finish area.
With good reason. As one top skier after another skied out, Hector suddenly found herself in second place. Only Zrinka Ljutic was left to start.
The Croatian kept her nerves in check and won clearly, her third victory of the season.
Hector will head to the World Championship in Saalbach-Hinterglemm with the knowledge that her form can take her far in both slalom and giant slalom. She won in the latter discipline in Kranjska Gora and has a third and now a second place in slalom.
Needs to fine-tune her form
Mikaela Shiffrin skied down as fifth in the first run, 0.87 seconds slower than leading Zrinka Ljutic.
A gap fully possible to make up.
But even a piste dominator like Shiffrin needs time to fine-tune her competitive form. A clearly worse second run meant a drop to 10th place.
Shiffrin injured herself in Killington's giant slalom on November 30 last year. She was leading after the first run and chasing her 100th World Cup victory, but then disaster struck, keeping her out of competition since then.
The American suffered a deep wound in her abdomen, according to herself hit by a ski tip. The wound took longer to heal than expected and Shiffrin suffered complications.
Swedish World Championship fight
Estelle Alphand and Hanna Aronsson Elfman are fighting for a spot in the World Championship slalom.
The latter is likely to get it. Both reached the second run, but while Alphand skied out, Aronsson Elfman struck back with a 12th place – and a personal best for the season in the discipline.
Tonight's slalom was the last in the World Cup before the World Championship on February 4-16.
