American alpine skiing legend Mikaela Shiffrin rallied from a first-run deficit to claim her record-extending 106th career World Cup win in a dramatic night slalom, overcoming rapidly deteriorating course conditions that challenged the entire field.
With the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics just weeks away, Shiffrin maintained her flawless record in slalom this season, going 5-for-5 in the discipline and extending her overall winning streak to six races dating back to last season.
The race on the Panorama course proved brutal, with warm temperatures creating deep ruts and soft, unpredictable snow. Nearly half the starters failed to complete the first run, marking one of the highest attrition rates in recent World Cup history.
Shiffrin, starting fourth, finished the opening run in fourth place, 0.54 seconds behind leader Camille Rast of Switzerland. She later voiced concerns about the piste’s safety.
“It was very challenging and scary, especially in the first run,” Shiffrin told reporters. “It’s disappointing because alpine skiing is such a beautiful sport, and we want to showcase that—not a course that falls apart after a few racers.”
Under floodlights for the second run, the 30-year-old delivered a flawless, aggressive performance, posting the fastest time and erasing her deficit to win with a combined total of 1:48.82. Rast held on for second, just 0.09 seconds back, while 19-year-old Albanian standout Lara Colturi claimed third.
This victory marks Shiffrin’s eighth triumph at Semmering and brings her halfway toward an unprecedented season sweep in slalom—no skier, male or female, has ever won every slalom event in a single World Cup campaign.
Despite the win, results were tougher for other Americans. Paula Moltzan, competing with a back injury from a prior crash, did not finish the second run.
As the World Cup circuit pauses briefly for the holidays before resuming in January, Shiffrin remains the clear favorite in slalom heading into the Olympics, where she aims to add to her two gold medals.
