Sestriere Slalom Celebration Shiffrin and Moltzan: GEPA pictures
North American Slalom Women Show Resilience and Depth Ahead of Olympic Season
Shiffrin Fights Back After Midseason Injury
The biggest storyline of the 2024-25 slalom season came early, when Mikaela Shiffrin crashed in a giant slalom in Killington and missed four of the 10 slalom races. The Stifel U.S. Ski Team star opened the year with back-to-back wins in Levi and Gurg̈l, then sat out nearly two months in recovery.
She returned at Courchevel, where she admitted she wasn’t yet at full strength, but still climbed back onto the podium in each of the final three races—two of them victories. Shiffrin closed the season ranked fourth overall in slalom with 486 points. In contrast, she won the title in 2024 with 830 points, collecting seven slalom victories and one runner-up finish in that campaign.
Moltzan Continues Steady Climb
Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Paula Moltzan delivered another strong campaign, finishing 11th in the standings—up one spot from her 12th-place finish last season. The 30-year-old scored 263 points and added another World Cup podium to her record, placing third in Sestriere. A former All-American at the University of Vermont, Moltzan consistently delivered top-15 results throughout the season. Known as a proven big-event skier, she remains a serious medal threat heading into the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
Team Podium Performance
The Stifel U.S. Ski Team women earned six World Cup slalom podiums this season, including four victories from Mikaela Shiffrin and third-place finishes from both her and teammate Paula Moltzan. One of those victories—Sestriere, Italy—marked Shiffrin’s 100th career World Cup win, adding historic weight to an already strong comeback season.
The 2024-25 campaign featured 10 slalom races. By comparison, the women raced 11 slaloms in 2023-24 and delivered nine podiums—seven wins and a second from Shiffrin, plus third-place finishes from AJ Hurt and Moltzan.
St-Germain Starts Strong Before Injury, Nullmeyer Finishes Fast
Alpine Canada Alpin’s Laurence St-Germain, the 2023 slalom World Champion, opened the season with four top-15 finishes in the first five slaloms, including a seventh-place result in Killington, Vermont—just down the road from her alma mater, the University of Vermont. However, she took a break midseason due to injury, missing the Kranjska Gora slalom. After returning, she never quite recovered her early-season form and finished the season ranked 18th with 121 points.
Fellow Alpine Canada Alpin racer Ali Nullmeyer, a former All-American at Middlebury College, began the season battling significant back pain and missed three races. She returned to Vermont to rehab in Waitsfield, then rebuilt her form under longtime coach Dave Gavett. Nullmeyer fought hard in the final stretch of the season to qualify for the Stifel Sun Valley World Cup Finals and made it count with a strong ninth-place finish—her best of the season. She ended the year ranked 22nd with 86 points, showing impressive resilience.
Stifel U.S. Ski Team Depth Gains
The Stifel U.S. Ski Team also saw growth in roster depth. Hurt, who made her first career slalom podium last season, missed the start of this year with a back injury but returned to score points in three races, finishing 29th in the standings. A proven rocket when healthy, Hurt remains a real threat heading into the Olympic year.
Two additional Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes returned from injury to score World Cup slalom points: Katie Hensien and Nina O’Brien. Both missed the entire 2023-24 season. This year, Hensien ranked 41st with 22 points, and O’Brien placed 47th with 11. Their return to scoring form adds encouraging depth as the Olympic season approaches.
Smart a Reliable Veteran for Canada
Canada’s Amelia Smart rounded out the North American contingent, ranked 35th with 32 points. While her total was down from the 64 points she earned in 2024, she remained consistent throughout the season. Smart is a reliable veteran who provides stability within Canada’s slalom team.
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Looking Toward the Olympic Year
With strong comebacks, rising depth, and consistent leadership from established stars, North America’s women have positioned themselves well heading into the 2026 Olympic season. Staying healthy will be critical, as podium potential depends not only on talent and experience, but also on being able to start at full strength. The slalom squads from the Stifel U.S. Ski Team and Alpine Canada Alpin bring both resilience and momentum—qualities that matter most on the sport’s biggest stage.
About the Author: Peter Lange
