The chill in the Finnish Lapland air is palpable, but it’s nothing compared to the electric anticipation gripping the Levi Black course today. As the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup women’s slalom opener explodes onto the scene, all eyes are on American icon Mikaela Shiffrin, who’s gunning for her ninth victory at this storied venue – and, with it, a potential 102nd career World Cup triumph that would further etch her name into the annals of winter sports immortality.
Shiffrin, the 30-year-old two-time Olympic champion and reigning queen of slalom, arrives in Levi fresh off a dominant close to last season, where she notched her 100th and 101st World Cup wins in the final slaloms. Missing chunks of the 2024/25 campaign due to injury only fueled her fire; she roared back in Sun Valley to remind the world why she’s the most decorated skier in history. “More than 100 wins? It was just about skiing that well in those conditions,” Shiffrin reflected in pre-season remarks, still sounding almost surprised by her own brilliance. Today marks the first slalom test of her 16th World Cup season, and Levi – with its famously “farmed” snow, produced through innovative snow-making tech to combat warming winters – has long been her personal playground.
Eight prior Levi triumphs mean Shiffrin already owns a herd of reindeer, the quirky local prize for victors (her first, affectionately named Rudolph, still roams a nearby farm). A ninth would not only extend that quirky collection but also catapult her past Lindsey Vonn for the most wins at a single venue in women’s alpine history. Starting third in bib order, the Edwards, Colorado native will drop in for the first run at 11:00 CET (4:00 a.m. ET), with the second run slated for 14:00 CET (7:00 a.m. ET). Fans stateside can catch the action live on Ski and Snowboard Live or FIS TV, while European viewers tune into Eurosport and Discovery+.
But this isn’t a solo show. The slalom field is stacked with talent eager to dethrone the GOAT and herald a new era. Reigning World Cup slalom champion Zrinka Ljutić of Croatia, bib six, enters as a formidable foe after clinching the 2025 Crystal Globe in a season that saw her trade blows with Switzerland’s Camille Rast, the 2025 world champion starting fourth. “I’m ready to race,” Ljutić declared recently, her confidence buoyed by a fan frenzy that’s only grown since her breakthrough. Rast, meanwhile, eyes her first Levi podium, while Austria’s Katharina Liensberger (bib five), last year’s runner-up here, brings veteran savvy and consistency to the mix.
Don’t sleep on the Swiss stalwart Wendy Holdener or Germany’s Lena Dürr, both perennial podium threats with the technical chops to exploit any Shiffrin slip. From the U.S. contingent, Paula Moltzan and rising star AJ Hurt join Shiffrin in repping the stars and stripes, with 19-year-old Annika Hunt making her World Cup debut – a nod to the pipeline of American talent Shiffrin helped cultivate.
The stakes? Sky-high. This Levi showdown isn’t just the slalom season’s curtain-raiser; it’s a tone-setter for an era-defining campaign. With Shiffrin chasing history and a young guard – Ljutić and Rast chief among them – nipping at her Atomic skis, the Black course could crown a legend or crown a revolution. Conditions look prime: crisp, early-season snow under clear skies, though whispers of bumps in the lower sections could reward the bold.
As gates drop and the crowd – bundled in parkas and waving flags from every corner of the globe – roars, one thing’s certain: Levi 2025 will deliver the drama that makes #FISAlpine and #WorldCupLevi must-watch TV. Will Shiffrin add another reindeer to the ranch, or will the next generation steal the show? Tune in and find out – the race is on.
