Industry News
Zrinka Ljutic delivered a smashing performance on Sunday, December 29, to claim her first-ever World Cup victory in Slalom at Semmering, Austria, breaking an 18-year drought for Croatian women in the sport. The 20-year-old skier dominated a challenging, heavily rutted course to finish a remarkable 1.75 seconds ahead of Germany’s Lena Dürr, with Austria’s Katharina Liensberger delighting the home crowd by taking third.
Ljutic’s win marks the first World Cup triumph for a Croatian since Janica Kostelic’s victory in 2006. Her commanding performance, despite the absence of slalom stars Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States and Petra Vlhova of Slovakia due to injuries, cements her status as a serious contender in the discipline.
Taking a 0.51-second lead on Dürr into the second run, Ljutic faced a track battered by earlier competitors. Yet, she skied with bold confidence, attacking the upper section and steadily building her advantage. Even a brief misstep midway down the course could not derail her charge. Crossing the line with the fastest second run, she secured her maiden victory and her sixth career podium finish.
Liensberger thrilled the Austrian fans with a strong second run, momentarily taking the lead before Dürr edged ahead by a tenth of a second. But neither could match Ljutic’s blistering pace as the young Croatian crossed the finish line to a roar of applause, her gap of 1.75 seconds leaving no doubt about her supremacy.
“It was an incredible day for me. I’ve been dreaming of this moment for so long, and to finally achieve it feels amazing.”
— Zrinka Ljutic
Switzerland’s Camille Rast narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth but reclaiming the top spot in the overall World Cup standings from Italy’s Federica Brignone, who had won Saturday’s giant slalom. Ljutic’s victory also propelled her into second place in the overall standings, just behind Rast.
The only American to complete two runs on Sunday was AJ Hurt, whose gutsy skiing earned her 18th place. Known more as a Giant Slalom specialist, Hurt showed flashes of brilliance in the second run, recording the sixth-fastest time on the lower pitch. “The first run, I was definitely just trying to get back into it,” Hurt reflected. “The second run felt much more like my style of skiing, and I’m happy with it. Last year, I only finished two slaloms, so this is already a step forward.”
Hurt’s strong showing comes as a welcome return to form after a challenging 2024 season, where she managed only one podium finish. Her improvement raises hopes for the upcoming races in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, where the women will compete in a giant slalom and a slalom next weekend.
While Hurt found success, her teammates Paula Moltzan, Katie Hensien, and Nina O’Brien did not qualify for the second run. Moltzan, who had been pushing hard at the top of her first run, straddled a gate and failed to finish. Despite their setbacks, the American team rallied around Hurt, cheering her on as she made her World Cup slalom return.
The team now heads to Toblach, Italy, for a brief training block to prepare for the challenges awaiting in Kranjska Gora.
