American alpine skiing legend Mikaela Shiffrin has been assigned bib number 7 for today’s women’s night slalom on the demanding Hermann Maier course in Flachau, positioning her favorably in the top group for the penultimate World Cup slalom before the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The draw places Shiffrin immediately behind Swiss rival Camille Rast (bib 6), the current hottest form skier in the discipline. As the World Cup slalom leader with 580 points, Shiffrin holds a commanding 218-point advantage over Rast (362 points) and tops the overall standings with 823 points. This prime starting spot in the top 7—drawn randomly based on World Cup Start List (WCSL) rankings—offers a key advantage on the icy, floodlit slope, where early runners benefit from cleaner snow and fewer ruts.
Shiffrin, a two-time Olympic gold medalist with 106 career World Cup victories—including five on this very Flachau course—enters as the overwhelming favorite. She has reached the podium in nearly every appearance here since her debut, showcasing her elite edge control, clean technique, and tactical precision ideally suited to the unforgiving, hard-packed conditions that punish even minor errors.
Rast, the defending slalom world champion and last year’s Flachau winner, snapped Shiffrin’s six-race slalom winning streak with a dominant victory in Kranjska Gora on January 4, outskiing the American by 0.14 seconds. The 26-year-old Swiss has been on fire, claiming the top spot in both slalom and giant slalom there the previous weekend and securing multiple podiums in recent months, including second places in Semmering and Courchevel. Her consistent improvement makes her the most credible threat yet to Shiffrin’s dominance, potentially reshaping expectations for slalom gold at the Milano Cortina Olympics starting February 6.
The race also carries significant implications beyond the day: With the Olympic qualification window closing on January 18, strong results will bolster athletes’ WCSL rankings, determining starting order in Milan Cortina’s technical events. Top-7 WCSL skiers get randomly drawn bibs 1-7, providing cleaner snow for aggressive lines—crucial for medal hopefuls like Shiffrin, fellow American Paula Moltzan, and Nina O’Brien, who are already qualified but seeking optimal positions.
Other contenders include Swiss Wendy Holdener (bib 1), known for her line discipline and icy-course prowess (worst finish this season: 8th), and aggressive American Moltzan, whose high-risk style could either shine or falter on Flachau’s precise demands.
First run starts at 17:45 CET (11:45 a.m. ET), with the decisive second run at 20:45 CET (2:45 p.m. ET). The event will be broadcast live on Peacock and NBC Sports Network.
As the electric Austrian night atmosphere builds, all eyes will be on whether Shiffrin reclaims her throne or if Rast delivers another upset on the slopes where history is often made. ⛷️
