39 Days Until The Winter Olympics: Mikaela Shiffrin Overcomes Brutal Course Conditions for Win 106
Even when the mountain fights back, Mikaela Shiffrin finds a way to conquer it.
This past weekend, when nearly half the field failed to finish due to deteriorating snow conditions, the American superstar dug deep into her reservoir of talent to claim a gritty, come-from-behind victory in the night slalom.
Shiffrin’s triumph marked her 106th career World Cup win and her eighth victory at the Austrian venue. Perhaps more impressively, it kept her perfect record in the discipline alive for the 2025-26 season, moving her to five-for-five in slalom events.
Shiffrin Victory was Against the Odds
The race wasn’t just a battle against the clock; it was a battle against the elements. Warm temperatures turned the course into a minefield of ruts and soft snow. The first run was particularly unforgiving, with 39 of the 79 racers failing to reach the finish line, a nearly 50% attrition rate that stands as the worst in a Cup event since 1999.
Shiffrin, who sat in fourth place after the first run, didn’t hold back her frustration regarding the state of the piste.
“The conversation I had with a lot of the athletes is that it was very scary to ski, especially on the first run,” Shiffrin said after the race. “That’s a pity because the sport is beautiful and we want to share that with people. We don’t want to show the top seven going and then the course blowing apart.”
Despite a 0.54-second deficit heading into the second run under the floodlights, Shiffrin delivered a masterclass in composure. She attacked the course with precision, ultimately finishing with a combined time of 1:48.82 to overtake Switzerland’s Camille Rast, who finished second. Albania’s 19-year-old phenom Lara Colturi rounded out the podium in third.
Dominance Defined
The win brings the 30-year-old Shiffrin halfway to a season sweep in slalom, a feat never achieved by any skier, male or female. It also extended her current winning streak in the discipline to six, just one shy of her personal best.
While Shiffrin celebrated, it was a mixed night for the rest of the U.S. contingent. Paula Moltzan, skiing with a sore back after a crash in the giant slalom the previous day, showed immense toughness to qualify for the second run but unfortunately straddled a gate and did not finish.
Shiffrin acknowledged that while the conditions improved slightly for the finale, the day left a mark on the competitors.
“It was a really hard day today, tough conditions, a really big fight, and the pressure’s on. And oh, I did my best, best possible run. It didn’t feel like good. I didn’t expect to come down with the green light. It’s been one of those days, it’s like: ‘Let’s refocus and be positive and try’ ,” Shiffrin said.
With the final World Cup event of 2025 now in the rearview, Shiffrin heads into the new year as the undisputed leader in both the overall and slalom points standings. The tour next moves to Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, on January 3, where Shiffrin will look to continue her rewriting of the history books on her way to the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in February.
