Mikaela Shiffrin proved once again why she’s the GOAT of alpine skiing, roaring back from a 0.54-second deficit to deliver what she called her “best, best possible run” under floodlights and snatch her 106th career World Cup victory in a chaotic night slalom.
The 30-year-old American superstar overcame treacherous, rutted snow caused by warm temperatures that saw nearly half the field fail to finish the first run – one of the highest attrition rates in decades. Starting fourth after a frustrating opening descent, Shiffrin unleashed a flawless, aggressive second run to post a combined time of 1:48.82, edging Switzerland’s Camille Rast by just 0.09 seconds. Rising teen sensation Lara Colturi of Albania rounded out the podium in third, 0.57 seconds back.
“It was a really hard day today, tough conditions, a really big fight, and the pressure’s on,” Shiffrin said afterward. “I did my best possible run. It didn’t feel good. I didn’t expect to come down with the green light.”
Despite the thrill of victory, Shiffrin didn’t hold back on criticizing the “very scary” and “unsafe” course conditions, echoing concerns from many athletes about the deteriorating piste that turned the race into a survival test.
This gritty triumph extends Shiffrin’s slalom winning streak to six (including all five this season), keeping her perfect in the discipline for 2025-26. No skier in history has ever swept a full slalom season – Shiffrin is now halfway there, firmly atop both the overall and slalom standings as the World Cup heads into 2026.
Next up: Kranjska Gora, Slovenia on January 3, where the undisputed queen of slalom will chase more history on the road to the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
