Mikaela Shiffrin, the undisputed queen of alpine skiing with a record 103 World Cup victories, showed flashes of her signature form but couldn’t crack the top 10 in Saturday’s women’s giant slalom at the Stifel Copper Cup. Finishing 14th on the challenging course just 30 minutes from her home in Edwards, Shiffrin remained philosophical about the result, emphasizing the bigger picture as she turns her focus to Sunday’s slalom – a discipline where she’s been untouchable this season.
New Zealand’s Alice Robinson dominated the day, claiming a commanding victory by leading both runs and finishing 0.96 seconds ahead of Austria’s Julia Scheib in second. Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund rounded out the podium in third, while Sweden’s Olympic champion Sara Hector posted a strong fourth. For the Americans, it was a tough outing: teammate Paula Moltzan crashed in her second run after a promising start, and Nina O’Brien led the U.S. contingent in 11th.
Shiffrin, who started the day as the bib 17 skier, struggled early with the icy, variable surface that plagued many competitors. She sat 18th after the first run, 1.74 seconds off Robinson’s blistering pace, citing the need for more cautious edging rather than her usual aggressive pushes for speed. Undeterred, she charged through the second run, gaining ground but ultimately settling for 14th overall – her best giant slalom result since a fourth-place finish in Sölden last month.
In post-race comments to Vail Daily, Shiffrin brushed off the disappointment with characteristic optimism, highlighting the joy of racing in front of a raucous home crowd – the first World Cup on Colorado snow since 2017. “My home is like 30 minutes away from here, which is amazing,” she said. “I think the best thing is making it to the finish of this GS at this time of the year. I would rank that above everything else.”
The 30-year-old, a two-time Olympic gold medalist gearing up for the Milano Cortina 2026 Games, also expressed confidence in her giant slalom progress despite the result. “I’m really quite excited with where my general level of GS is,” Shiffrin added. “It’s been pretty fast every training day.” She noted the demanding early-season schedule – back-to-back travel-heavy weekends at high altitude – as a factor in feeling the burn in her legs, but viewed the race as valuable data for her Olympic buildup.
Shiffrin’s GS finish, while underwhelming, does little to dent her stranglehold on the overall World Cup standings, where she leads after three races with 250 points – the most of any skier, male or female.fcfdec Her season has been a tale of two disciplines: a near-podium in Sölden GS gave way to masterclasses in slalom, where she cruised to wins in Levi, Finland (by 1.66 seconds), and Gurgl, Austria (by 1.23 seconds), extending her records to 66 slalom triumphs and 103 overall.
That hot streak sets the stage for redemption in Sunday’s slalom, where Shiffrin enters as the overwhelming favorite to chase a third consecutive victory – and her first on home snow in over a decade. “I feel very stable right now,” she said after Gurgl, describing her slalom skiing as “some of the best I ever did.” Racing bib one, Shiffrin will have the East Village base area – packed with thousands of flag-waving fans on Saturday – roaring her on once more.
The Copper course suits her technical prowess, with its mild terrain and familiar lines from years of spring training sessions. Previews peg Albania’s Lara Colturi, who has shadowed Shiffrin with runner-up finishes in both prior slaloms, as the top threat, while Switzerland’s Camille Rast – the reigning world champion – lurks in third. American teammates like Moltzan (recovering from her GS crash) and O’Brien could factor in if they capitalize on the crowd’s energy.
“I’m excited to go to Copper,” Shiffrin said post-Gurgl, savoring the rarity of sleeping in her own bed mid-season. With the Olympics looming just nine weeks away, a slalom win here would not only boost her crystal globe chase but also send a resounding message: the GOAT is far from finished.
First-run action kicks off at 10 a.m. MT Sunday, with the decider at 1 p.m. MT. Tune in via NBC, Peacock, or Outside TV for what promises to be a homecoming to remember.
