American skiing sensation Mikaela Shiffrin delivered a gritty performance in Sunday’s FIS Alpine Ski World Cup giant slalom at Mont-Tremblant, tying for fourth place and edging closer to her pre-injury form. The result, her best in the discipline since a harrowing crash over a year ago, underscores a season of steady top-10 finishes and renewed confidence on the slopes.
Racing on a demanding course under variable conditions, Shiffrin started the day in sixth after the first run, trailing leader Alice Robinson of New Zealand by 0.72 seconds. But the 30-year-old Olympic gold medalist unleashed a blistering second run, clocking a combined time that left her tied with Switzerland’s Camille Rast at 1.17 seconds behind the winner. Austria’s Julia Scheib claimed the victory with a time of 2 minutes, 13 seconds flat, fending off a late charge from Sweden’s reigning Olympic giant slalom champion Sara Hector, who took second, 0.57 seconds back. Robinson settled for third, 0.78 seconds off the pace.
“It’s a matter of perspective in ski racing,” Shiffrin said post-race, her voice carrying a mix of satisfaction and determination. “I felt solid today—aggressive where I needed to be, and the course rewarded clean lines. It’s progress, plain and simple.” The Edwards, Colorado native has now notched two fourth-place finishes and a sixth in giant slalom this season, building on a 14th at the season-opening Copper Cup. Her consistency in the event marks a clear rebound from the tail end of last season, when she struggled in just two comeback races following a severe puncture wound sustained during a GS crash in Killington, Vermont, in November 2024.
That injury—a freak gate malfunction that wrapped around her body and left her in agony—sidelined Shiffrin for months and tested her resilience. Yet, with three slalom wins already in the 2025-26 campaign, she’s firmly atop the overall World Cup standings with 458 points, holding a commanding 156-point lead over Albania’s Lara Colturi. Shiffrin remains the queen of slalom but has climbed to fifth in GS rankings, a testament to her adaptability amid a fiercely competitive field.
Scheib’s win was her second of the season and third GS medal overall, capping a redemptive weekend after she skied out on Saturday. “The slope was tricky, but I skied with heart today,” the 27-year-old Austrian told FIS officials, her podium celebration a highlight under the crisp Quebec skies.
The Mont-Tremblant stop, part of a two-day technical series, saw Shiffrin place sixth on Saturday amid darkening conditions and snow buildup, where she started strong in third after the opener but faded in the finale. New Zealand’s Robinson doubled up with that victory, her second straight after Copper. Canada’s Valerie Grenier, a local hero, earned bronze on day one but DNF’d Sunday after a late error.
Shiffrin’s next challenge comes swiftly: a downhill in St. Moritz on December 12, where speed events could further test her versatility. With the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics on the horizon, her trajectory points toward contention across disciplines. “We’re building,” she added. “The podium will come—I’m skiing faster every run.”
As the World Cup circuit rolls on, Shiffrin’s story remains one of unyielding pursuit, turning adversity into acceleration one gate at a time.
