Exciting Flachau Night Slalom Unfolds: Vlhová and Shiffrin Battle for Dominance

Petra Vlhová first run Flachau GEPA pictures

There is nothing more exciting in ski racing than a night race in Austria. Especially in the im Pongau district, perhaps the home of the world’s most enthusiastic ski racing fans. Flachau’s 2024 edition has started with two racing titans displaying amazing athletic skills.

The two women who have won all six slaloms contested during the 2023-24 season are one and two after the first run.

The evening’s final run is set up for a perfect drama. During the first run, Petra Vlhová delivered excellence from the start gate to the finish and earned the first-run lead. Mikaela Shiffrin had a rocket-fast final sector to finish just (+0.07) behind the leader.

The world’s two best are one-two, but there are three racers within a second of Vlhová after the first run.

Two Swedish teammates, Anna Swenn Larsson (+0.52) and Sara Hector (+0.92), skied with speed and determination. They delivered exceptional runs, and the two have put themselves in great positions to earn podiums at night’s end.

When Shiffrin takes time away from racing to prepare, she usually returns with new domination. However, at the end of her recent time away from competition, Shiffrin’s concern went entirely to her injured boyfriend, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. She spent two days supporting him in a Bern Hospital instead of focusing on the race. Her emotional energy went entirely to concerns for his health. However, she skied brilliantly and trailed the leader, Vlhová, by only (+0.07).

Flachau is not a steep hill, and the terrain is less pronounced than in some previous editions, but it created a situation where the women could attack and produce exciting speed.

As expected, the night slalom crowd in Flachau was enormous.

North Americans

Once again, Stifel US Ski Team’s 23-year-old AJ Hurt is showing her slalom excellence. Hurt started inside the first thirty of a slalom for the first time in her career and gained twenty positions. Hurt goes into the finale ranked 9th from the first run and is only (+1.38) behind Vlhová. She is in an excellent position to earn her second consecutive slalom podium.

The two Canadians in the race also skied fast enough to qualify for the finale. Ali Nullmeyer was quick in the last timing sector and will start the evening finale ranked 20th (+2.48). Her teammate, Amelia Smart, was fast in the second sector and was among the 30 racers who qualified. She was 24th fastest (+2.62).

Unfortunately, the first Stifel US Ski Team member to ski, bib two, Paula Moltzan, was skiing with the lead when she planted her pole between her legs, skied over it and lost her balance and ski. She was out of the race in the second sector.

Racers with start numbers above thirty

Eleven racers with bibs above 30 qualified for the second run. The fastest of the group was bib 69, France’s Caitlin Mcfarlane 13th (+1.77)). Mcfarlane was also the last to do so.

Fourteen nations qualified women for the second run. Switzerland has the most, with five. The home country, Austria, qualified three.

Top 30 first-run results and analysis of the fastest three and qualified North Americans

Click images to enlarge.

Analysis of the fastest three and qualified North Americans