Today’s Slalom podium: Mikaela Shiffrin 1st, Camille Rast 2nd, Lara Colturi 3rd. | Image: FIS Alpine IG
The final women’s World Cup race of the calendar year delivered chaos, comebacks, and another historic victory for Mikaela Shiffrin, who claimed her 106th career World Cup win and 69th Slalom victory after two demanding runs on the icy slopes of Semmering, Austria. Following a tricky Giant Slalom on Saturday, December 27, conditions remained difficult on Saturday, December 28, with a battered course, softening snow, and 45 DNFs, highlighting just how unforgiving the Semmering hill can be.
Run 1: 39 DNFs on a Wild Ride
The opening run was set by Swiss coach Denis Wicki and immediately proved to be a challenge. Austria’s Katharina Liensberger, skiing first, set the early benchmark with a time of 55.04 seconds. Italian-Albanian teenager Lara Colturi followed with a composed, technically sound run, edging into the lead by 0.25 seconds. But then came Camille Rast. The Swiss skier attacked the course with noticeably more aggression and powered into the lead with a time of 54.70, just 0.09 seconds ahead of Colturi.
Fourth out of the gate was Mikaela Shiffrin, who delivered a clean and controlled run but finished 0.54 seconds back in fourth. As was the case in Sasturday’s Giant Slalom, the first four starters remained the top four through the rest of the run—a possible indication of how quickly the course deteriorated.
Austria’s Katharina Truppe rounded out the top five, with Wendy Holdener sixth. Both finished within a second of Rast. After that, the time gaps ballooned, with Paula Moltzan qualifying seventh at a distant +1.41 seconds.
Several top contenders struggled. Zrinka Ljutić placed 10th, while Lena Dürr skidded on an icy section, losing valuable time and finishing 12th — effectively ending both skiers’ podium hopes.
The long DNF list included Emma Aicher, who straddled a gate, as well as Katharina Huber and Mina Fürst-Holtmann. Team USA also endured a rough run, with Elisabeth Bocock, Logan Grosdidier, and twins Liv and Kjersti Moritz all failing to finish. Nina O’Brien narrowly missed qualifying for Run 2, finishing 31st.
Camille Rast was leading after run 1. | Image: FIS Alpine IG
Run 2: More Surprises and DNFs
If Run 1 was chaotic, Run 2 was no calmer. The second run saw five DNFs and a disqualification for Sara Hector, keeping fans guessing until the very end.
Norway’s Bianca Bakke Westhoff opened the run with an early DNF. Canada’s Kiki Alexander then set the first meaningful time, clocking 57.70 seconds for a combined time of 1:58.29. The 24-year-old earned her first-ever World Cup points, though she was quickly overtaken.
Several skiers made major moves. France’s Marion Chevrier climbed nine spots, while Austria’s Natalie Falch, starting with bib 56, surged an astonishing 45 positions to finish 11th, earning the Bibbo Award for the biggest jump of the day.
The race ignited when the final 10 skiers entered the gate.Zrinka Ljutić jumped into the lead with a combined time of 1:52.57, setting the benchmark. Sweden’s Anna Swenn Larsson joined the DNF list, but her teammate Cornelia Øhlund stunned the field by going nearly a second faster than Ljutić, proving there was still speed to be found on the battered course.
Paula Moltzan looked poised to take the lead but skied out. Wendy Holdener fought her way down, surrendering most of her 1.28-second run 1 advantage, yet clung to a 0.09-second lead to move ahead.
Then came Katharina Truppe, who thrilled the home crowd with a dominant run, blasting into the lead by nearly two seconds—a massive margin on the rest of the field.
But the drama was far from over.
Mikaela Shiffrin, skiing with calm confidence, delivered the fastest second run of the day. Despite one brief mistake, she steadily gained time and surged into the lead by 0.93 seconds, remarkable considering she had started run 2 with just a 0.12-second edge over Truppe.
With three skiers remaining, anything was still possible. Katharina Liensberger couldn’t capitalize on home-snow advantage, finishing 0.02 seconds ahead of Truppe but 0.91 back of Shiffrin, securing a podium spot for the American.
Lara Colturi claimed third today at Semmering. | Image: FIS Alpine IG
Lara Colturi was quick up top but lost time lower down, finishing 0.57 seconds behind Shiffrin. That left just one skier.
Camille Rast attacked aggressively after being told over team radio to go “full gas,” but she couldn’t extend her first-run advantage. Turn by turn, Rast fell behind and she crossed the finish line 0.09 seconds back, gesturing with her fingers to show just how small the margin was.
It was enough for Shiffrin’s 106th victory and her fifth consecutive Slalom victory of the season.
The women’s World Cup now pauses briefly before resuming the 2025–26 season in early January.
Mikaela Shiffrin claimed her 106th World Cup victory. | Image: FIS Alpine IG