Industry News
For years, Austria’s Katharina Truppe had flirted with victory in the FIS World Cup, notching four podiums but never standing on the top step. That changed on Sunday, March 9, in Åre, Sweden, where the 29-year-old delivered the run of her life in challenging conditions to secure her first career win. Truppe vaulted from sixth place after Run 1 to the lead, then watched as the sport’s biggest names—including Mikaela Shiffrin, the most decorated skier in Alpine World Cup history—failed to match her time. The American, who led after the opening run, ultimately finished third, earning her 156th career World Cup podium—a new all-time record, surpassing Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark.
While victory No. 101 wasn’t in the cards for Shiffrin on Sunday, the 29-year-old continues to add to an increasingly untouchable legacy. After an aggressive first run gave her the lead, deteriorating conditions on the second made it nearly impossible to hang on. “In challenging conditions, you have to be so perfect, and it can be really hard to ski loose and aggressive when you have no room for errors,” Shiffrin said.
Still, the American was proud of her performance in conditions she doesn’t typically favor. “I’ll watch the video later, but I imagine both of the Katis did an amazing job, and I feel pretty proud that I was pushing,” she said, referring to Truppe and Austria’s Katharina Liensberger, who finished second. “There are so many discussions about different numbers,” Shiffrin added when asked about her new podium record. “I feel pretty good about it.”
Now, she turns her focus to closing out the season in her homeland, where the World Cup Finals will be hosted in Sun Valley, Idaho. “Somehow, we have to get to the USA,” she said, acknowledging logistical challenges ahead of the final race. “We’re going to try and find some training in Europe, then work our way to the U.S. There is one more race this season. I’m looking forward to it.”
While Shiffrin added another milestone, Sunday belonged to Truppe. Known for her consistency in Slalom—frequently cracking the top 10 and previously reaching four podiums, all in third place—she had never been able to put together two winning runs. That changed in Åre. Her second run was equal parts controlled and aggressive, taking advantage of an early start position as the course worsened for later competitors. “I’m a little bit speechless because I was just so nervous at the start, but I was much more nervous when I was sitting in the red chair,” Truppe said after securing the victory. “My first victory—it’s crazy, I have goosebumps on my body. It is unbelievable.”
Truppe’s breakthrough came on the heels of a standout performance at last month’s World Championships in Saalbach, where her Slalom run helped Austria secure Bronze in the Team Combined event.
Liensberger, who started the day in fifth, also handled the deteriorating track well and climbed to second place. The result marked her third Slalom podium of the season and kept her in contention for the discipline’s Crystal Globe. “I had to push to give it all, through the finish line,” Liensberger said. “I tried to put all my energy into this course, and second place is amazing.
Germany’s Lena Dürr, who had put down the second fastest Run 1 after Shiffrin, struggled on Run 2, dropping down to seventh overall, while Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutic finished 10th and Switzerland’s Camille Rast in 11th place. The 2024-25 Slalom season title is still up for grabs, with Ljutic in the lead with 515 points, Rast in second with 474 points, and Liensberger in third with 464 points. The decision will fall at the World Cup Finals in Sun Valley on March 27.
