Shiffrin wins World Cup slalom in Levi to claim 102nd career victory

Mikaela Shiffrin is back on top of the slalom world.

Sure, one could argue she never really left, but last season was the first time in nine years where she finished outside the top two in the discipline standings. Injury asterisks withstanding, it was also the first time in her career where she didn’t podium in the event at the world championships.

After a rocky 2024-25 season, however, Shiffrin was simply spectacular in the slalom opener on Saturday in Levi, Finland.

“Today was just one of those days,” Shiffrin told assembled media after picking up her 102nd career World Cup win. The Edwards’ skier finished 1.66 seconds ahead of runner-up Lara Colturi as Germany’s Emma Aicher took third, 2.59 seconds back.

“I felt really strong on both runs,” Shiffrin continued. “A little nervous still, which is great. … I felt really good about my skiing again and just enjoyed it.”

On a calm, partly cloudy day, Shiffrin posted the fastest first and second runs on the 180-meter Levi Black slope. She led by 1.08 seconds after the first and extended the lead in the second, particularly in the final two sectors. Shiffrin described conditions as “perfect,” but said the second run had a “totally different feeling.”

“You could see the times on the course were quite a bit faster,” she said. “It was important to take the speed and keep your tempo.”

One athlete who found the speed was Paula Moltzan. The American posted the second-fastest second run of the day, sliding up 15 places to finish tied for fourth with Lena Duerr.

“After a challenging first run, I knew I needed to shift into another gear to find a lot of time,” said Moltzan, who claimed her sixth career World Cup podium with a runner-up giant slalom finish in the Oct. 25 season opener in Sölden, Austria. The 31-year-old is coming off a season which saw her claim a giant slalom bronze at worlds as well as fourth-place finishes in the slalom, team combined, and team event in Saalbach.

“I am super happy with my skiing (on the) second run,” Moltzan continued. “I felt like I was able to make some of my best turns. Couldn’t be happier to have the wooden spoon.”

Zrinka Ljutic, who won the slalom globe last winter at 21 — the youngest to accomplish that feat since a 20-year-old Shiffrin did back in 2015 — moved down two spots after her second run to finish sixth.

The Americans started six athletes on Saturday. In her fourth career World Cup start, Vail Mountain School and Ski and Snowboard Club Vail alumna Liv Moritz finished 54th after the first run. The 20-year-old was 4.54 seconds off Shiffrin’s split and 1.46 seconds from earning a second run. Fellow U.S. starters A.J. Hurt, Nina O’Brien, and Annika Hurt all posted DNFs in the first run.

Shiffrin strength

Shiffrin’s physiotherapist, Regan Dewhirst, told spokesperson Megan Harrod this is the strongest Shiffrin has been in a long time.

“Part of that was with the injury last year; Mikaela was able to build strength and muscle mass and recreate a foundation that is often lost during the season due to competition and training schedules on-snow,” Harrod said in an email. “And she carried that solid foundation through the prep period.”

Shiffrin finished fourth in the slalom standings and 16th in the overall classification last year after missing a huge chunk of the season due to injury. She battled PTSD symptoms in three tentative returns to the giant slalom after suffering a puncture wound during a crash at the Killington World Cup last November. When asked about where she’s at coming off those trials, Shiffrin said, “Every phase of my career, I’ve learned something new.”

“Some injuries or some tough moments just mentally and coming off last season and the one before — I feel open-minded and I trust the team around me, so that’s wonderful,” she said.

The men are scheduled to race a slalom in Levi on Sunday. The women’s World Cup continues with a slalom in Gurgl, Austria, on Nov. 23 before heading to Copper Mountain the following week. All roads lead to Milano Cortina in February. Shiffrin said learning to cope with the pressure — which she felt prior to the second run on Saturday — is good preparation for her fourth Olympics.

“Second run then it was these feelings of, ‘Oh, don’t mess it up. That would be embarrassing kind of.’ But then, in the end, if you’re pushing as hard as you can, you can’t mess it up,” she said.

“I think every race is an opportunity to practice mentality and the racing energy. It’s different. I love to train, but racing is sometimes a little bit uncomfortable. Because I’m nervous and it’s stressful,” she continued. “I’m learning to make friends with racing — the environment and the mentality — and that’s a goal for this whole season, including the Olympics.”