Copper Cup Slalom podium/Burnhamphoto
Mikaela Shiffrin lit up Copper Mountain on Sunday, winning the Stifel Copper Cup slalom presented by United Airlines by a towering 1.57 seconds to claim her fourth straight World Cup slalom victory. She led a podium of Shiffrin, Germany’s Lena Dürr, and Albania’s Lara Colturi, and delivered the 100th U.S. women’s World Cup slalom win in history.
“I could hear you guys from the start, so thank you,” Shiffrin said.
“I felt perfect this run… I connected with the track so nice, and it was beautiful to ski.”
Early movers set the tone
With the second run flipped, the slowest qualifiers attacked first and immediately showed that the Copper course rewarded committed, rhythmic skiing.
France’s Caitlin McFarlane, now the only skier this season to beat Shiffrin in a single World Cup slalom run, produced the charge of the afternoon. She attacked without touching the brakes, posting the fastest second-run time and climbing 16 places to finish 12th.
“I just wanted to have fun… I didn’t have the best sensations on the first run, so I just thought, go for it. No pressing on the brakes,” McFarlane said.
“I just want to keep pushing me. I want to get higher and higher.”
Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund, the highest bib to qualify, also surged, jumping 11 places with balanced, confident skiing. Switzerland’s Mélanie Meillard matched that, moving up 11 spots during the second run. Their big green arrows on the final live timing report underlined how much the course rewarded clean timing and brave lines.
Moltzan ignites the home crowd
The finish stadium erupted when Paula Moltzan dropped in as the 19th starter of the second run. She attacked from the first gate, built on her first-run advantage, and took the lead by 0.49 seconds to one of the loudest roars of the afternoon.
Moltzan eventually slipped to eighth, but still moved up four places and secured another top-10 on home snow — an important building block in her slalom season.
Swiss depth and the middle phase
Seven Swiss women qualified for the second run — more than any other nation — and their depth showed throughout the afternoon. Wendy Holdener led the charge in fourth, with Camille Rast adding a strong 10th-place result. Meillard’s 11-place surge up the leaderboard kept Swiss colors in the mix as the faster first-run starters attacked their second runs.
Final eight decide the podium
As the final eight starters entered the gate, the fight for the podium tightened.
Sweden’s Anna Swenn Larsson led Dürr through the early sectors before losing time lower and crossing 0.49 back.
Germany’s Emma Aicher, a rising three-event star with a Levi podium this season, took a line that was too straight for the rhythm and skied out.
Austria’s Katharina Truppe bled time steadily and finished 0.64 behind Dürr.
Then Lara Colturi, already with two slalom podiums this winter, attacked the track. She held a slim lead at the top, couldn’t fully carry it onto the flat, but still secured third at 0.28 behind Dürr.
“I’m for sure proud of myself, especially because I work hard… I had an injury three years ago and now I’m here on the podium — that’s just crazy,” Colturi said.
“I’ve been inspired by Mikaela since I was five years old.”
Austria’s Katharina Liensberger and Switzerland’s Holdener both started with green numbers and then lost time on the lower part of the course, crossing 0.51 and 0.42 back, respectively. Their results locked Colturi into third and ensured Dürr no worse than second.
Shiffrin closes it out
Last to start, Shiffrin carried a commanding first-run lead and full expectation. She skied with attacking intent but without panic, protecting her advantage while still pushing on the pitch. McFarlane owned the fastest second run, Shiffrin posted the second-fastest, and Dürr the third-fastest, but Shiffrin’s two-run total was in a class of its own.
She crossed the line to a wall of noise, winning by 1.57 seconds — her most dominant slalom margin so far this season.
“Everybody here is pushing, and I have to push… this one was like lights out. Amazing,” Shiffrin said.
“Hopefully, many hours of sleeping… we only arrived here on Monday from Europe, so everybody here is pretty tired and ready for a nap.”
Coaches’ View: Shiffrin’s Progress Runs Deeper Than Results
Shiffrin’s lead coach Karen Harjo emphasized how meaningful the performance was given the year she has worked to rebuild confidence and timing.
“I was really proud of her. It’s been a full year since her crash in Killington, and returning in front of a home crowd with all that pressure isn’t easy. She handled it with composure and real quality,” Harjo said.
“People sometimes forget the mental side and how long it takes to come back at this level. She’s human, and today was another strong step forward.”
North Americans
- Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) — 1st, fourth straight slalom win and 100th U.S. women’s SL victory.
- Paula Moltzan (USA) — 8th, moved up 4 places after taking the lead as the 19th starter.
- Laurence St-Germain (CAN) — 15th, attacking more in the second run.
“I was attacking way more and a bit more relaxed at the start… overall I think it’s a good buildup from the first run,” she said. - Amelia Smart (CAN) — 25th, dropping four places on the second run.
- Nina O’Brien (USA) — 26th, moving up one spot and scoring in both events this weekend.
“This is the first weekend I’ve scored in GS and slalom maybe ever, so I’ll take small wins,” O’Brien said.
Big movers on the second run
- Caitlin McFarlane (FRA) — fastest second run, up 16 places
- Thea Louise Stjernesund (NOR) — up 11 places
- Mélanie Meillard (SUI) — up 11 places
- Lena Dürr— up – 7 places
Fastest second-runs
- Caitlin McFarlane (FRA) — fastest second run
- Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) — second-fastest
- Lena Dürr (GER) — third-fastest
Shiffrin’s Slalom Streak Continues
Shiffrin remains undefeated in World Cup slalom this season, opening the winter by sweeping both runs in Levi, winning both runs in Gurgl, and now adding her third slalom victory of the campaign in Copper Mountain. She was fastest in the first run on Sunday and delivered the second-fastest second run to secure her fourth straight slalom win and the 100th U.S. women’s World Cup slalom victory. Her 1.57-second advantage underscored another decisive performance in a season where she continues to raise the standard.
The women now travel to Tremblant, Quebec, for two World Cup giant slaloms next weekend before returning to Europe for the rest of the season.
Top 30 After the First Run
click images to enlarge
Run Analysis: Leaders, Qualified North Americans
About the Author: Peter Lange
