Zrinka Ljutic

With Germany’s Lena Dürr leading the race, all eyes turned to 20-year-old Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutic, the fastest skier from the first run, to decide the winner. Benefiting from her father setting the first run course, Ljutic entered the second run with a 0.51-second advantage over Dürr. Despite Dürr’s impressive second run, which included a significant mistake, Ljutic extended her lead to 1.75 seconds, clinching her first World Cup victory. The win was historic, marking the first time in 22 years that a Croatian woman claimed a World Cup victory, following in the footsteps of skiing legend Janica Kostelić. Ljutic, who had previously earned three slalom podiums, finally stood atop the podium in a breakthrough moment for her career.

Zrinka Ljutic holds a commanding lead after the first run of the Semmering slalom, with Germany’s Lena Dürr and Switzerland’s Camille Rast in pursuit. North Americans Amelia Smart and AJ Hurt aim to climb the ranks in an exciting afternoon finale.

In the latest episode of the Skiing is Believing Podcast, Matt and Alan spoke with last season's FIS Rising Star, tech specialist Zrinka Ljutić.

Stifel US Ski Team's Mikaela Shiffrin wins her 95th World Cup in the Jasná slalom. She is simply the best and has now accumulated 630 World Cup Slalom points this season. Now that Vlhová is out for the rest of the season, her lead over the next-best active skier is 228 points. It is her fifth slalom victory of the season. The woman has a fantastic feeling for winning; today, she used her first run advantage to perfection.

In the absence of her Slovakian rival Petra Vlhová, the stage was set for Mikaela Shiffrin to showcase her unparalleled prowess in women's slalom. As the first run unfolded, Shiffrin's dominance became evident, leaving a significant gap between her and the competition. The absence of Vlhová, coupled with Shiffrin's exceptional skills, promises an intriguing narrative for the day's race