Mikaela Shiffrin Aims to Extend Historic Slalom Dominance this Weekend

Mikaela Shiffrin is set to showcase her dominance in slalom skiing this weekend at the Alpine skiing World Cup in Semmering, Austria. This event on Saturday and Sunday marks the final stop of the World Cup season for 2025. Shiffrin’s recent performances have established her as a formidable force in slalom events.

Mikaela Shiffrin’s Historic Slalom Dominance

Shiffrin heads into Semmering with an impressive track record. She has won the last five World Cup slalom events, each victory coming with a margin of over one second. This remarkable feat has set a new standard in the sport, as no other skier, male or female, has achieved more than three consecutive slalom wins by such a large margin.

• Last five World Cup slalom victories by Shiffrin: all by a margin exceeding one second.
• Seven of the last nine giant slalom and slalom events in Semmering have been won by her.
• The last race she participated in at Semmering was in December 2022.

The competition kicks off with the giant slalom, where Shiffrin has been improving steadily. She is recovering from a significant crash in November 2024 which kept her off the slopes for two months. This season, her giant slalom finishes have included fourth, 14th, sixth, and another fourth place.

Men’s Alpine Skiing Events

Simultaneously, the men’s Alpine skiing World Cup will take place in Livigno, Italy, which will host a super-G race. This site is significant as it will be the venue for freestyle skiing and snowboarding events at the upcoming 2026 Olympics.

• Marco Odermatt of Switzerland leads the super-G standings and is the reigning world champion in the event.
• Ryan Cochran-Siegle earned a super-G silver medal at the 2022 Olympics, marking the only U.S. Alpine medal in Beijing.
• Cochran-Siegle is currently having his best season, ranking seventh in downhill and sixteenth in super-G.

Cross-Country Skiing Highlights

The Tour de Ski, resembling the Tour de France, will commence on Sunday and run through January 4. This multi-stage competition will take place across six stages in Italy. Jessie Diggins is making headlines as the only North American skier to win the Tour de Ski, achieving this in the 2020-21 and 2023-24 seasons.

• Diggins is the only North American to secure a Tour de Ski victory.
• She leads the overall World Cup standings through eight races this season.
• This season will be Diggins’ last before retirement, adding significance to her performances.

Mikaela Shiffrin’s pursuit to extend her historic slalom dominance continues this weekend, drawing attention in the world of winter sports and setting the stage for thrilling Alpine skiing competitions.