In a thrilling display of elite alpine skiing, Switzerland’s Camille Rast delivered a masterful performance to claim back-to-back World Cup wins in giant slalom and slalom, ending Mikaela Shiffrin’s dominant slalom streak and earning high praise from the American legend herself.
The 26-year-old reigning slalom world champion edged out Shiffrin by a mere 0.14 seconds in Sunday’s slalom race, clocking a combined time of 1:40.20 on the demanding Podkoren 3 course. Rast posted the fastest times in both runs, holding off a charging Shiffrin who had stormed into the lead after an explosive second run.
Shiffrin, who had entered the weekend on a six-race slalom winning streak dating back to last season, was gracious in defeat. “I was just watching like everybody, so inspired or in awe of Camille’s skiing,” Shiffrin said post-race. She went on to highlight the extraordinary difficulty of Rast’s achievement: “If only the whole world could understand what a challenge it is to take the top spot in both GS and SL races in the same weekend.”
Rast’s double victory – her first giant slalom World Cup win on Saturday followed by the slalom triumph – marks a rare feat in women’s technical events. Wearing a black armband in tribute to victims of a tragic New Year’s Eve fire in her hometown region of Crans-Montana, Rast dedicated her performances to those affected. “I gave everything I had this weekend,” she said. “A double on the same weekend is quite amazing.”
The result tightens the race for the overall World Cup title, with Shiffrin maintaining her lead but Rast closing the gap significantly. Swiss teammate Wendy Holdener rounded out the slalom podium in third, while American Paula Moltzan finished fourth.
As the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics approach, Rast has emerged as Shiffrin’s fiercest rival in the technical disciplines, setting the stage for an epic showdown on the global stage.
Fans are already buzzing: Is this the start of a new era in women’s slalom, or will Shiffrin reclaim her throne? Drop your thoughts below!
