Mikaela Shiffrin led a dominant podium at the World Cup Finals slalom in Hafjell, Norway, claiming victory ahead of Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener in second and Germany’s Emma Aicher in third. The American once again showcased her superiority in the discipline, converting a commanding first-run lead into another emphatic win. She had already secured the 2025-26 slalom season title, but finally got to hold the ninth slalom crystal globe in her hands — her 12th discipline title overall.
Run 1
Run 1 of the World Cup Finals was opened by Austria’s Katharina Truppe, who set the pace with a time of 1:09.60.
She was promptly bumped down by Wendy Holdener from Switzerland, who was already half a second ahead in sector one. She delivered a strong run, crossing the finish line 0.71 seconds ahead of Truppe — ultimately placing her second after run 1.
Lara Colturi in bib 3 crossed the finish line 1.24 seconds behind Holdener — a far cry from her form last year and earlier in the season. The young Albanian-Italian talent has been struggling with illness lately, which has affected her performance.
Emma Aicher in bib 4 was strong on the top section and was ahead of Holdener, but lost time on the bottom section and slotted in behind the Swiss, crossing just 0.28 seconds back. She was promptly relegated down a rank by Team USA’s Paula Moltzan, who attacked the course with her usual aggression. Unlike Aicher, Moltzan was behind on the top section but created speed towards the bottom to finish just 0.02 seconds behind Holdener — the third-fastest run of the first leg for the American.
Straight after Moltzan came her teammate Mikaela Shiffrin, who once again showed her absolute dominance in the slalom discipline. She was ahead straight out of the gate, building on her margin of 0.13 seconds to extend it to more than half a second by the mid-section, gaining speed and momentum with every gate. She skied fluidly and finished 1.10 seconds ahead of Holdener — a commanding lead.
The only woman who has beaten Shiffrin this season, Camille Rast, was next in bib 7. But the Swiss skier could not find her usual aggression on the Norwegian course, finishing more than two seconds behind Shiffrin. It was still enough for ninth place in run 1, but far from her usual level.
Rounding out the top 10 ranks in run 1 were Sweden’s Anna Swenn Larsson and Sara Hector in fifth and sixth, respectively, while France’s Marion Chevrier slotted into eighth place between Truppe and Rast.
Run 2
Run 2 is conducted in reverse order, so Croatia’s tech star Zrinka Ljutic was first to compete. She set the pace with a time of 1:00.46, indicating that run 2 was considerably faster and less technical than run 1. Run 1 had been set by Swedish coach Sascha Sorio, while run 2 was set by Lara Colturi’s father and coach, Alessandro Colturi.
Ironically, the setting suited Lara Colturi less, as she dropped from 10th to 16th with the second-slowest run of the second leg. Who it did suit, however, was newly crowned double Junior World Champion Anna Trockner, who had earned her spot at the Finals through that title. She skied the fastest run 2 of the day, jumping six positions into ninth place — an impressive World Cup debut for the 17-year-old Italian.
But let’s return to the top 10 from run 1. Camille Rast again struggled to find speed on a course that was deteriorating in the sunshine after an overcast morning. Likewise, Marion Chevrier could also not challenge for the lead.
Another skier who thrived on the faster setting was Katharina Truppe, who had been seventh after run 1. With the second-fastest run 2, the Austrian skied into the lead with a combined time of 2:09.26. The Swedes — Swenn Larsson and Hector — could not match her pace, both finishing more than half a second behind.
This brought up the top four from run 1, starting with Germany’s Emma Aicher, who stepped into the gate with a 0.43-second advantage. The German, who often appears slower than she actually is due to her size (she is 1.75 m or 5 feet 9), skied with composure and precision, extending her lead to 0.79 seconds mid-run, where others had lost time. A slightly more technical lower section cost her some milliseconds, but she still took the lead by 0.31 seconds.
With three skiers remaining, the podium was still wide open. Paula Moltzan, known for her strong second runs, held a 0.26-second advantage over Aicher but lost it early. Despite regaining some speed mid-course, she faded towards the bottom, finishing behind both Aicher and Truppe — securing Aicher a podium.
Next came Wendy Holdener, who delivered a dynamic and controlled run, maintaining her advantage over Aicher to cross the line just 0.04 seconds ahead on an increasingly slushy course.
Last to go was Mikaela Shiffrin, holding a lead of more than a second from run 1. She lost a small portion of that margin early but maintained her rhythm and composure throughout. In full control, she generated speed in the final sector, extending her lead to 1.32 seconds over Holdener — sealing a dominant victory.
With the win, Shiffrin earns 100 points and extends her lead in the Overall standings to 85 points over Aicher. It would now require Aicher to win the Giant Slalom — something she has never done — and Shiffrin to finish outside the top 15 to claim the title.
Shiffrin’s ninth slalom victory of the season also marks another historic milestone, as she has now won nine out of 10 slalom races this season. With one race remaining, the American is poised to cap off yet another remarkable season. The women’s Giant Slalom will be held tomorrow, while the men race slalom.
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