/ GEPA pictures
Mikaela Shiffrin didn’t ease her way into the World Cup Finals. She detonated out of the start.
On a demanding Hafjell slalom track, she attacked from the very first gate with total confidence. No hesitation. No nerves. Just full commitment.
By the finish, the gap said everything.
1.10 seconds clear of Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener.
It wasn’t just fast. It was dominant. The kind of run that makes the rest of the field look like they’re chasing shadows.
Is this Mikaela Shiffrin at her most dominant?
Shiffrin skied in top gear from the very first gate, bringing a level of confidence that immediately set her apart. Where others looked reactive, waiting for the rhythm to come to them, she dictated everything, attacking the course with precision and flow. The connection to the snow was unmistakable, every turn clean, and powerful, building a commanding 1.10 second lead over the field.
It’s another statement in what has already been a historic slalom season. Shiffrin now sits on nine slalom podiums in 2025/26, matching a benchmark first set by Vreni Schneider and later reached by Janica Kostelic. She has done it more than once and remains the only skier in history to reach ten in a single season.
And with one run still to go, the pressure only builds. A podium today keeps her Overall Globe chances very much alive, setting up a decisive second run in Hafjell.
Wendy Holdener Keeps Pressure On with Strong First Run in Hafjell
Wendy Holdener delivered exactly what she has all season, consistency under pressure. With a top ten result in every slalom race this winter, the Swiss skier once again combined clean skiing with strong intent, attacking from the start and holding that level all the way down. It was a composed, disciplined run that put her firmly in second place, even as she chases bigger stakes.
The battle within the Swiss team adds another layer. Camille Rast leads the slalom standings with 518 points and needs just one point in Hafjell to lock in second overall for the season. Holdener, sitting on 418, must win and hope Rast scores zero to force a tie. For Holdener, a two time runner up in the discipline, the fight is still alive but the margin is razor thin heading into the second run.
Moltzan Charges Into Podium Position in Run 1
Paula Moltzan had to work for it early, searching for her rhythm on the opening steep as she came out of the start. But once she found her timing, the American settled in and began to carry strong speed through the middle and lower sections. It turned into a solid, composed run that kept her right in contention, finishing third, just 1.12 seconds back from teammate Mikaela Shiffrin heading into the second run.
Top 5 After First Run
- 1st 🇺🇸 Mikaela Shiffrin (USA), Bib 6 — 1:07.79
- 2nd 🇨🇭 Wendy Holdener (SUI), Bib 2 — +1.10
- 3rd 🇺🇸 Paula Moltzan (USA), Bib 5 — +1.12
- 4th 🇩🇪 Emma Aicher (GER), Bib 4 — +1.38
- 5th 🇸🇪 Anna Swenn Larsson (SWE), Bib 12 — +1.41
Run 1 Takeaways
Camille Rast has work to do in the second run. Sitting in 9th, +2.22, the Swiss skier never looked comfortable on the softer, salted surface. She appeared hard on her edges from the start, struggling to find flow, especially on the lower section. Instead of rolling the ski, she was pushing through the turns, fighting for rhythm the entire way down.
Lara Colturi, in 10th after run 1, will also be looking for a reset. There could be an opportunity, with the second run set by her father, but she will need to ski with more confidence. After losing some momentum midway through the season, she is still working to rebuild. In this run, she looked slightly back and reactive, waiting for the course rather than attacking it.
Lena Dürr sits 11th, +2.45, and continues to search for top form. After a strong early season, including a second place in Copper Mountain, she has not been able to carry the same speed, especially on a course as long and demanding as this one, the longest on the women’s tour this season. There are still signs she may be rebuilding confidence after her Olympic straddle, and today she struggled to generate the tempo needed to stay close to the leaders.
One of the standout stories comes from Italy’s Anna Trocker. The World Junior gold medalist in both GS and slalom has carried that momentum onto the biggest stage, punching her ticket to the World Cup Finals and delivering an impressive run to sit 15th after run 1. She will be looking to hold or improve that position in the second run and secure valuable World Cup points heading into next season.
St Germain Struggles to Find Speed in First Run
Laurence St-Germain, the lone Canadian in the field, ran into trouble early and never recovered. A big mistake coming off the pitch cost her critical speed, and on a course where momentum carries into the flatter sections, she was unable to make it back up. It’s been a challenging, injury plagued season, and she struggled to find rhythm, not the run she was hoping for in Hafjell. She will be looking to charge second run and move up.
- 21st 🇨🇦 Laurence St Germain (CAN), Bib 20 — +4.04
“It’s a really long course and the snow is soft with the warmer conditions, so it was a good challenge. For the second run I just want to attack more and go faster. It’s my last run of the season, so I’m going to leave it all out on the hill and try to move up.”
Second Run Showdown in Hafjell
Everything resets now.
Shiffrin holds a massive advantage, but second run slalom has a way of rewriting the script. The track will be more worn, the timing tighter, and the pressure higher with every racer down the hill.
Behind her, the fight is wide open. Holdener and Moltzan are in position, but one mistake, one moment of hesitation, and the standings can flip instantly.
This is where races are won and lost.
The final run of the women’s slalom gets underway at 8:30 AM EST.
First Run Results
click images to enlarge
First Run Analysis: Leaders & North Americans
About the Author: Katie Twible
