Featured Image: Mikaela Shiffrin. Credit: GEPA
Today, the women launched the last day of competition at the Stifel FIS World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho. The weather and conditions have held up, and the dedicated efforts of the course crews ensured that the eagerly awaited slalom event kicked off smoothly.
The first run course was set straightforward, down the fall line, with a slew of combinations, so it was attackable, but the women had to dance.
Mikaela Shiffrin came into the Stifel World Cup Finals with a solid attitude and an eagerness to prove herself.
This has been a challenging season for her with a giant slalom crash and a mix of high and low points. She had stated, “I think the hardest thing about this season has been the peaks and valleys.”
“I tend to operate best at a more even keel, even emotionally. But when there are extremely good moments and extremely bad moments, that’s what really takes all of my energy to just manage it,” Shiffrin continued.
Nevertheless, her mental barriers did not show in her first run today. She fired out of the start and found the rhythm off the bat. She immediately set the lead and continued to build throughout the course. She came down into the roaring U.S. crowd, 1.22 ahead of Katharina Liensberger, who was first out of the start.
She heads into the second run 0.59 ahead of the field, so she will have a comfortable lead to show her strong skiing on home snow. However, the other athletes will not be backing down, so she still needs to lock in.
Lena Dürr and Wendy Holdener Head into Second Run in 2nd and 3rd
Lena Dürr of Germany came into the Stifel World Cup Finals with 15 career World Cup slalom podiums. In her first run, she showed aggression to put herself in a position where she could step onto the podium again.
She threw down an impressive run, showing green through the middle section of the course. She lost a little speed to Shiffrin through the final section of the track but was the closest contender to the US athlete. Dürr heads into the second run 0.59 behind the lead.
Although Dürr is out of contention to earn the slalom globe, she still has the ability to achieve the top 3 for the season in the discipline.
Swiss athlete Wendy Holdener is trailing Ljutic by 96 points, so she has the ability to lift the discipline globe. Holdener has been the runner-up for the globe twice in 2018 and 2023. She used all of that to motivate her, which showed in her aggressive approach to the first run.
The veteran athlete has earned the podium three times this season but looks to achieve a victory. She will leave nothing on the hill in the second run with the goal of moving up and proving herself.
Zrinka Ljutic’s Fight for the Globe
If Zrinka Ljutic ends the day on the podium, she will solidify the slalom World Cup globe, so the pressure is on for the Croatian.
The 21-year-old currently holds a 41-point lead ahead of her nearest rival, Camille Rast. In Ljutic’s last six World Cup slaloms, she has won three times and finished on the podium once.
Ljutic skied the first run with control but did not accumulate the speed through each turn that Shiffrin displayed in her run. She will head into the second run +1.99 behind Shiffrin’s lead in 12th place, but will have her work cut out for her to reach the top 3 in the second run.
Camille Rast Finishes Behind Ljutic in First Run
Camille Rast is the closest contender for the discipline globe to the Croatian, trailing Ljutic by 41 points. If she achieves victory and Ljutic finishes with a 4th place or lower, then Rast will earn her first globe.
The Swiss athlete was persistent with each turn, holding a strong line and charging through the quick sections. Unfortunately, she finished the first run +2.14 seconds off the lead, falling short of her expectations.
While securing a win will be tough, the unpredictable nature of the sport means anything is possible, and she is committed to giving her best effort to climb the ranks.
Katharina Liensberger Pushes for the Globe
The Austrian, Katharina Liensberger, was the first athlete on course today, setting the pace at 53.27. Liensberger has not been on top of the podium since 2022, but this year her successful leaderboard consistency moved her to the top 3 of the rankings in the discipline.
She finished the run just off the podium and will need a top 3 finish to clinch the globe. With multiple women gunning for it, the Austrian will have to lay down a fast run to win her second slalom globe.
North Americans
Paula Moltzan of the Stifel US Ski Team came into the race today wearing a bandage on her chin after a gnarly crash in the giant slalom. However, she did not hold back. She had a few mistakes but continued to recover and push herself.
She came across the finish +1.86 behind her teammate but will head into the second run in 8th place.
Alpine Canada Alpin athletes Laurence St-Germain and Ali Nullmeyer were both pushing it through the course, executing clean, solid skiing. Nullmeyer got caught up in the final gates of the course but managed to sneak around them. They finished in 18th and 19th position heading into the second run.
The second run starts at 12:00 MST and the discipline World Cup globe is still very much on the line. Who will take it? Tune in to find out!
Top 3 After First Run
Results After First Run
North American Results and Analysis
About the Author: Ellie Hartman
