Mikaela Shiffrin Secures Ninth Slalom Win, Nears World Cup Overall Title

Mikaela Shiffrin won the slalom at the World Cup finals in Lillehammer on Tuesday. She claimed her ninth slalom victory this season.

She completed two runs in 2:07.61. Her margin over Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener was 1.32 seconds.

Race details

Shiffrin led by more than a second after the first run. She extended that lead in the second leg.

Germany’s Emma Aicher, 22, finished third, 1.36 seconds behind Shiffrin. Aicher remains a strong all-discipline contender.

Season context

The American has long dominated technical events. She captured Olympic slalom gold in Cortina d’Ampezzo this season.

She rebounded after missing the podium at the 2022 Beijing Games. Her season has been described by her as a whirlwind.

Injury and comeback

Shiffrin suffered a crash in November 2024 in Killington, Vermont. The crash caused a puncture wound and led to a two-month recovery.

She returned in January 2025 and quickly regained form. She won twice before the season’s end, including at the Sun Valley finals.

Discipline and career milestones

She had already secured the slalom crystal globe and received the trophy after Tuesday’s race. The win pushed her World Cup tally to 110 career victories.

Shiffrin has been the overall World Cup champion five times. Her overall titles came in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023.

Giant slalom progress

Giant slalom has been challenging since the Killington crash. She withdrew from last year’s worlds, citing post-traumatic stress symptoms.

Before the 2025 season ended, her best GS result in three attempts was 25th. This season she has shown improvement.

In 10 giant slalom races she placed in the top six eight times. She reached her first GS podium in two years during January.

Overall title picture

Mikaela Shiffrin added her ninth slalom win and now nears the World Cup overall title. She leads Emma Aicher by 85 points.

Shiffrin’s discipline points include 980 in slalom, 398 in giant slalom and eight in super-G. Those totals leave her well positioned.

Aicher has more than 300 points in three disciplines. Her best single-discipline total is 453 in downhill.

Aicher can still take the overall crown. She must win Wednesday’s giant slalom and have Shiffrin finish 16th or worse.

Shiffrin will clinch the overall title by finishing 15th or better. She can also secure it if Aicher fails to win the GS.

Next race

The women’s giant slalom runs are scheduled for Wednesday at 4:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. ET. The final will decide the overall globe.

Shiffrin praised her team’s support and credited their work for her results. She also expressed admiration for Aicher as the sport’s emerging talent.

Coverage and reporting for this story are available on Filmogaz.com.