Gürgl 2024 Podium GEPA pictures
Women’s World Cup Slalom Preview — Gürgl, Austria
Mikaela Shiffrin seeks another Austrian victory as the Olympic season intensifies.
Gürgl returns to the World Cup calendar with the second women’s slalom of the Olympic season, bringing the tour from the Arctic snow of Levi to the high-altitude slopes of Austria’s Obergurgl–Hochgurgl region. Known for its reliable early-season snow, crisp mountain air, and uninterrupted fall-line terrain, Gürgl offers a demanding track where balance, timing, and courage define every run.
Last year, the race delivered a breakthrough podium and set the tone for the winter. This season, it arrives with even higher stakes.
Shiffrin Returns as Defending Champion
Mikaela Shiffrin (Stifel U.S. Ski Team) remains the skier to beat in Austria.
She won the opening Levi slalom last weekend and arrives in Gürgl as the defending champion after winning here last season ahead of Albania’s rising star Lara Colturi and Switzerland’s Camille Rast, the 2025 World Champion in slalom.
Shiffrin has opened the Olympic season with precision and power, winning both runs in Levi and extending her all-time slalom victory record. Her margin of 1.66 seconds over Colturi in the Levi race underscored her command of the discipline, even facing a new wave of young talent.
She now looks to defend her Gürgl title and extend her early-season momentum.
Last Season’s Podium in Gürgl
- 1st — Mikaela Shiffrin (USA)
- 2nd — Lara Colturi (ALB)
- 3rd — Camille Rast (SUI)
Colturi, who turned 19 on the day of her Levi podium last weekend, continues to evolve into one of the most explosive young technical skiers on tour. Rast, now the reigning slalom World Champion, remains a reliable podium threat whenever she competes.
Young Stars Are Closing In
Levi re-confirmed the sport’s shifting landscape and the pressure building behind the veterans.
Germany’s Emma Aicher, who turned 22 this month, earned her first World Cup slalom podium in Levi and became one of the few active athletes with podium finishes in three disciplines — slalom, super-G, and downhill.
Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutić, last season’s slalom globe winner, opened her Olympic year with a strong sixth-place result in Levi Race 1. At just 21, she already has a crystal globe and continues to push the standard in women’s slalom.
With Colturi, Aicher, Ljutić, and Rast all in form, Shiffrin faces one of the deepest groups of young challengers of her career.
Levi Podium
- 1st — Mikaela Shiffrin (USA)
- 2nd — Lara Colturi (ALB)
- 3rd — Emma Aicher (GER)
Stifel U.S. Ski Team Leads the Nations Cup
After the first two races of the season, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team women lead the Nations Cup standings with 374 points. Mikaela Shiffrin’s Levi slalom victory and Paula Moltzan’s impressive second place in the Sölden giant slalom delivered a powerful start, backed by strong depth across the roster.
The Americans now look to build on that lead as the technical tour continues.
U.S. Starters in Gürgl
- Mikaela Shiffrin — 2025 Levi win; defending Gürgl champion
- Paula Moltzan — 6th in Gürgl last season
- Liv Moritz — DNQ in Levi, looking to rebound
- Annika Hunt — made her World Cup debut in Levi; this is her second start
- Nina O’Brien — veteran, DNF in Levi
- AJ Hurt — World Cup slalom podium finisher; DNF in Levi
Katie Hensien will miss the early season due to injury.
Canadian Team Aims to Bounce Back
Levi was a surprisingly difficult opener for a talented Canadian squad.
None of the five starters qualified for the second run, despite strong previous seasons.
Canada in Gürgl
- Laurence St-Germain — 2023 World Champion; did not race in Levi, her first race of the 2026 season
- Ali Nullmeyer — DNQ in Levi
- Amelia Smart — DNQ in Levi
- Kiki Alexander — DNQ
Last season in Gürgl, Canada delivered strong results:
St-Germain finished 11th and Nullmeyer 18th. A rebound this weekend would reassert the group’s standing among the world’s best.
Why Gürgl Matters
Gürgl is one of the highest-altitude World Cup venues in Austria, with reliable early-season snow and a track that rewards great skiing and calculated risk.
The course builds speed quickly, meaning timing errors compound fast — rewarding skiers who can stay committed when the rhythm tightens.
As the second slalom of the Olympic year, Gürgl also acts as a major selection marker for national teams. Early points will have an outsized influence on Olympic quotas and internal nomination battles heading toward Cortina 2026.
Course setters — First run: Janne Haarala (USA) Second run: Francis Royal (CAN)
How to Watch
The women take the hill on Sunday, Nov. 23, with the first run at 4:30 a.m. EDT / 1:30 a.m. PDT and the second run at 7:30 a.m. EDT / 4:30 a.m. PDT.
- United States: Live and replay coverage on Peacocktv.
- Canada: Stream on CBC Sports.
- Great Britain: Both races air live on Discovery+ — first run 9:30 a.m., second run 12:30 p.m. UK time.
North American Women Starters in Levi
(WCSL = World Cup Start List rank. FIS Point Rank is noted for athletes not in the top 30 WCSL.)
- Mikaela Shiffrin, WCSL 1st, Stifel USST, Burke Mountain Academy, Atomic
- Paula Moltzan, WCSL 8th, Stifel USST, University of Vermont Ski and Snowboard Club
- Laurence St-Germain, WCSL 21st, Alpine Canada Alpin, University of Vermont, Mont Sainte-Anne
- Ali Nullmeyer, WCSL 23rd, Alpine Canada Alpin, Middlebury College, GMVS, Atomic
- AJ Hurt, WCSL 33rd, FIS Rank 24th, Stifel USST, Team Palisades Tahoe, HEAD
- Amelia Smart, WCSL 39th, FIS Rank 28, Alpine Canada Alpin, Windermere, University of Denver, Atomic
- Elisabeth Bocock, FIS 37th, Stifel USST, Rowmark Ski Academy
- Nina O’Brien, WCSL 51st, FIS Rank 47, Stifel USST, Burke Mountain Academy
- Liv Moritz, FIS Rank 47, Stifel USST, University of Denver, Ski & Snowboard Club Vail
- Arianne Forget, FIS Rank 52, CAN, Belle Neige, Atomic
- Kiki Alexander, FIS Rank 57, ACA, Sunshine Alpine Racers
- Annika Hunt, FIS Rank 85, Stifel USST, Burke Mountain Academy
- Sarah Bennett, FIS Rank 92, CAN, ACA, Club de ski Stoneham, Québec Ski Team
About the Author: Peter Lange
