Mikaela Shiffrin stood atop the podium in the Arctic twilight, crystal globe in one hand, a curious reindeer’s lead rope in the other, and declared Levi her second home.
“It’s starting to feel more like home,” the 30-year-old American said into the FIS microphone, her breath visible in the −8°C air. “I really enjoy being here.”
She has every reason to. On Saturday, Shiffrin delivered a masterclass in the season-opening World Cup slalom, posting 1:48.92 (56.08 + 52.84) to win by 1.66 seconds—her ninth Levi slalom title, her 102nd career World Cup victory, and her ninth live reindeer.
The reindeer, a tradition unique to Levi, will join Shiffrin’s growing herd at a local Lapland farm. Past names include Rudolph, Sven, Mr. Gru, Ingemar, Sunny, Lorax, Grogu, and Rori. The newest member?
“I haven’t decided yet,” Shiffrin laughed. “I like to meet them first and see their personality.”
Behind her, 19-year-old Albanian sensation Lara Colturi celebrated her birthday with a stunning second-place debut, while Germany’s Emma Aicher took third—her first World Cup podium.
From Killington Crash to Levi Bliss
Just 12 months ago, Shiffrin was sidelined with an abdominal injury from a high-speed crash in Killington, Vermont—losing two months and the slalom crystal globe to Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutic.
This weekend? She looked untouchable.
“We did a lot of work over the summer,” she said. “The final step was mentality. Today, my mind and body were connected.”
That connection powered two flawless runs down the Levi Black course, where Shiffrin has now won nine of the last 15 women’s slaloms—a dominance that has turned the Finnish resort into her personal playground.
Olympic Clock: T-20 Weeks
With the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics now just 20 weeks away, Shiffrin’s victory launches her qualification campaign in both slalom and giant slalom. She currently leads the overall and slalom World Cup standings.
Her fiancé, Norwegian downhill star Aleksander Kilde, still in preseason training in Chile, marked the moment on Instagram: “T-20 🤩🤩🤩🤩”—a countdown Shiffrin reposted with a heart.
Up Next: Killington
The World Cup returns to Vermont in late November—Shiffrin’s true home hill, where she’ll defend her title and chase win 103.
For now, Levi remains her Arctic kingdom. Nine reindeer, nine victories, one unbreakable bond.
“Home is where the turns are.”
