Mikaela Shiffrin wasted no time silencing doubters after a shaky giant slalom opener in Austria. The American superstar stormed to victory in Saturday’s World Cup slalom at Levi, clocking a dominant 1:48.92 (56.08 + 52.84) to claim her ninth Levi slalom title, her 102nd career World Cup win, and—by local tradition—her ninth live reindeer.
The 30-year-old two-time Olympic champion finished 1.66 seconds clear of 19-year-old Albanian phenom Lara Colturi, who marked her World Cup debut with a stunning runner-up finish on her birthday. Germany’s Emma Aicher took third for her first slalom podium.
Shiffrin’s fiancé, Norwegian skier Aleksander Kilde, was left in awe. Still preparing for his own season start after training in Chile, Kilde posted a clip of Shiffrin’s final turns on Instagram Stories with the caption: “T-20 🤩🤩🤩🤩”—a playful nod to the 20 weeks until the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics. Shiffrin quickly reposted it to her own story with a heart emoji.
From Crash to Comeback
Last season’s brutal crash in Killington—an abdominal injury that sidelined her for two months and cost her the slalom crystal globe—lingered in the rearview. But Shiffrin credited summer preparation and mental reset for her explosive return.
“We did a lot of work with my team,” she told reporters. “The final piece was mentality. Levi is starting to feel like home. I love racing here.”
With 65 slalom wins and four world titles in the discipline, Shiffrin now leads both the overall and slalom standings after one race.
The Reindeer Legacy
Levi’s quirky tradition awards winners a live reindeer, cared for at a local farm. Shiffrin’s herd—previously named Rudolph, Sven, Mr. Gru, Ingemar, Sunny, Lorax, Grogu, and Rori—grew by one on Saturday. She hasn’t named the newest member yet:
“I like to meet them first and see their personality.”
What’s Next?
The World Cup heads to Killington, Vermont, next month—Shiffrin’s home hill, where she’ll aim to defend her title and keep the momentum rolling toward Olympic gold.
Kilde remains sidelined for now, but if Shiffrin’s form is any indication, Norway’s star will have plenty to celebrate soon.
