> At a Glance
> – Mikaela Shiffrin wins her 106th World Cup slalom in Semmering, Austria, amid unsafe course conditions.
> – Only 40 of 77 starters finish the first run, highlighting a deteriorating surface.
> – Shiffrin extends her slalom lead by 220 points, keeping a five-race winning streak.
> – Why it matters: Shiffrin’s victory and the unsafe conditions raise questions about athlete safety ahead of the 2026 Olympics.
Mikaela Shiffrin extended her World Cup slalom dominance with a 106th career victory on Sunday night in Semmering, Austria, despite a course that many skiers deemed unsafe.
Challenging Course Conditions
The mild weather that day prompted organizers to inject water and salt into the Panorama course, but the surface broke at increasing spots during the afternoon run that began at 2:15 p.m. Only 40 of 77 starters finished, and a 5.94-second deficit still allowed the top 30 to qualify for the final run.
- Water and salt injection attempted to harden the course.
- Surface broke on more spots during afternoon run.
- 40 of 77 starters completed the first session.
- 5.94-second deficit qualified for final run.
News Of Austin stated:
> “I have to say this: It was not safe to ski for the girls. For me, don’t question it, bib 4 on the first run, it’s not a problem, right. But for these women who were starting bib 13, 15, 18, in the 60s (start numbers), this is not OK.”
Shiffrin added that the conditions were “very challenging and distracting.”
Shiffrin said:
> “It was a very challenging and distracting day. My understanding is that there were no big injuries, but the way the surface was breaking … The second run was a bit better, for sure, but I am frustrated with how that went for these women.”
Shiffrin’s Record-Extending Victory
In the first run, Mikaela Shiffrin was fourth, more than half a second off the pace, but she posted the fastest time in the evening session to beat first-run leader Camille Rast by 0.09 seconds, with Lara Colturi 0.57 seconds back in third.
Shiffrin said:
> “It was a really hard day today, tough conditions, a really big fight, and the pressure’s on. And oh, I did my best, best possible run.”
Shiffrin added:
> “It didn’t feel like good. I didn’t expect to come down with the green light. It’s been one of those days, it’s like: ‘Let’s refocus and be positive and try.'”
- 106th career World Cup win.
- Five consecutive wins to start the season.
- 220-point lead over second-placed Lara Colturi in slalom standings.
Season Overview & Upcoming Races
Shiffrin’s streak of five wins in a row matches her personal best from the 2018-19 season. She won the final race of last season and then dominated the first four slaloms of the current Olympic campaign, averaging a 1.5-second margin before adding Sunday’s narrow victory.
- Three more slaloms in January before the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, then two in March.
- A race win is worth 100 points.
- Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutic was 3.75 seconds behind in eighth.
- Shiffrin’s teammate Paula Moltzan was seventh after the first run but straddled a gate in the second, a day after a crash.
- Austria’s Julia Scheib won the giant slalom on the same hill but does not compete in slalom.
Key Takeaways
- Shiffrin’s 106th win keeps her in contention for the 2026 Olympic slalom title.
- Unsafe course conditions highlight athlete safety concerns.
- A five-race winning streak matches her best season start.
With her record-extending win and a lead that keeps her in contention for the 2026 Olympic slalom title, Shiffrin faces a season of challenging courses and fierce competition.
