The Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season bursts into the new year with high-octane action on the iconic Podkoren slope, as the women’s Giant Slalom gets underway today in picturesque Kranjska Gora. Amidst a winter wonderland of fresh snow and eager crowds, the world’s top skiers are set to battle for crucial points in this Olympic-season opener.
Run 1 blasted off at 10:00 CET under crisp Slovenian skies, with the demanding Podkoren 3 course – featuring a 325m vertical drop – testing precision and power from the outset. The flipped second run is scheduled for 13:00 CET, promising dramatic comebacks on one of the circuit’s most unforgiving tracks.
Leading the charge into the gates is Switzerland’s consistent performer Camille Rast (bib 1), followed by Olympic champion Sara Hector of Sweden (bib 2) and current GS standings leader Julia Scheib from Austria (bib 3), fresh off her Semmering victory. New Zealand’s Alice Robinson (bib 4) and rising Croatian star Zrinka Ljutić (bib 5) round out the early favorites, while American powerhouse Mikaela Shiffrin starts with bib 8 – eyeing a strong rebound in GS after focusing on her dominant slalom form.
Shiffrin, who enters with five straight slalom wins this season and a mixed GS record (best of fourth so far), has history here with past victories but knows the Podkoren beast demands perfection. Other contenders include Canada’s two-time Kranjska Gora GS winner Valerie Grenier (bib 10) and Italy’s speed specialist Sofia Goggia (bib 11) dipping into tech events.
With the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics looming, every turn counts. Scheib holds a slim lead in the GS globe race over Robinson, but today’s result could shake up the standings dramatically.
Fans packed the slopes despite the chill, cheering under clear skies captured beautifully in official FIS photos. Tomorrow’s slalom promises even more fireworks, with Shiffrin favored to extend her streak.
Stay tuned as the second run unfolds – this Slovenian classic is just heating up!
