Mikaela Shiffrin clinched her 98th World Cup win in the Levi slalom on Saturday (16 November) to go top of the overall 2024/25 Alpine Skiing FIS World Cup standings.
Leading by six-tenths of a second after the first run, the double Olympic champion turned that into a winning margin of 0.79 from Austria’s Katharina Liensbergerwho secured her first podium finish since Levi 12 months ago. Lena Duerr of Germany was third having been second at midway.
This was a record eighth Levi slalom triumph for the US skier who called it “an amazing way to start the slalom season”. Reigning Olympic slalom champion Peter Vlhovawho has six wins at the Finnish resort, was missing as she completes her recovery from knee surgery.
Emma Aicher went fastest on the second run, attacking hard and carrying her speed down the course. The German was 22nd after the first run but found herself inside the top 10 with several skiers guilty of not being aggressive enough on a deteriorating racing line.
Melanie Meillardninth after the first run, eventually displaced Aicher from the top of the timesheets despite making mistakes on the way down. She ceded top spot to team-mate Camille Rast before Anna Swenn-Larsson risked everything to move into first place.
Paula Moltzan was another to let it all hang out, but a couple of wide turns cost her dear. By contrast, Liensberger was smoothness personified as she moved into the lead by almost half a second.
Zrinka Ljuticthird after the first run, struggled with the turns on the second half to drop out of contention. Duerr got into trouble midway down the course but rallied well to finish just four-hundredths outside Liensberger’s aggregate time.
Shiffrin will bid for World Cup victory number 99 at the Gurgl slalom in Austria next Saturday. A week later, the circuit moves to Killington in the United States for a giant slalom and slalom with a century of wins in sight for the skiing legend.
More to follow…
Swiss
