With the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics just weeks away (starting February 6), Mikaela Shiffrin is charging toward Flachau, Austria, for the penultimate women’s slalom of the season on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. The double Olympic champion and all-time World Cup wins leader aims to reclaim her dominance after a rare second-place finish snapped her five-race winning streak.
Shiffrin opened the 2025-26 season with an unstoppable run: victories in Levi, Gurgl, Copper Mountain, Courchevel, and Semmering—pushing her career total to 106 World Cup wins and establishing a commanding lead in the slalom discipline (580 points) and overall standings (823 points). Her streak ended dramatically in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, on January 4, where Switzerland’s Camille Rast—the reigning slalom world champion—edged her out by a razor-thin 0.14 seconds in a thrilling head-to-head battle.
Here, Shiffrin powers through the gates in classic form during one of her signature slalom runs:
The Flachau night slalom—famous for its electric atmosphere under the lights—sets the stage for a potential rematch. Shiffrin boasts an exceptional track record on this course: podium finishes in nearly every appearance since her 2011 debut (which ended in a DNF), including five wins, two seconds, and three thirds. Rast, 26, won here last year and has solid results otherwise (two sixths and a 19th).
Catch the intensity of Shiffrin celebrating past triumphs on the podium:
Rast, riding high after her Kranjska Gora breakthrough, trails Shiffrin significantly in the points (362 in slalom, 703 overall) but has proven she can challenge the queen when the pressure mounts. This Austrian showdown could preview the Olympic women’s slalom set for February 18 at Cortina d’Ampezzo’s Tofane centre.
The night race schedule (CET, subject to change):
Run 1: 17:45 CET (11:45 ET)
Run 2: 20:45 CET (14:45 ET)
Fans can stream live:
USA: skiandsnowboard.live
Canada: CBC Sports
Europe: Eurosport digital platforms / Discovery+
Elsewhere: Free FIS TV livestream or FIS app
With one more slalom before the Olympics (January 25 in Špindlerův Mlýn, Czechia), Shiffrin is in prime position to solidify her form and chase another crystal globe. The 30-year-old American legend, fresh off recovery from past setbacks, continues to thrill fans as she builds momentum toward what could be a golden Olympic encore. The gates are set—let the battle begin!
