The Slalom podium at Soldeu, Andorra: Anna Swenn Larsson 1st, Zrinka Ljutic 2nd, Paula Moltzan 3rd. | Image: FIS Alpine Instagram
Sweden’s Anna Swenn Larsson claimed her second career FIS World Cup Slalom victory in Soldeu, Andorra, on Sunday, February 11. She shared the podium with Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutic, who finished 0.35 seconds behind Swenn Larsson, and Team USA’s Paula Moltzan, who finished 0.83 seconds behind the Swede.
Run 1
The experienced Swedish skier had started the race strong, leading after run 1 with a time of 54.45 seconds. Swenn Larsson in bib 4 had managed to beat Team USA’s Paula Moltzan to first place by 0.14 seconds. Moltzan in bib 3 had put down an incredible run, skiing into the lead almost a second ahead of Austria’s Katharina Liensberger in bib 2. Moltzan knew it had been a strong time when she crossed the finish line, exclaiming, “Now that’s how I ski slalom.”
Expectations were high for Lena Dürr from Germany, skiing in bib 6, who is currently ranked third in the season’s standings behind Mikaela Shiffrin and Petra Vlhova, who were both absent at Soldeu due to injuries. However, the German tech specialist could not match the pace set by Moltzan and Swenn Larsson and finished run 1 in fifth place. Her top section had looked strong but she made some minor mistakes on the stepper mid-section, costing her valuable milliseconds.
Zrinka Ljutic on course in Soldeu, Andorra. | Image: FIS Alpine Instagram
Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutic had the third-fastest run 1, skiing into third 0.42 seconds behind Swenn Larsson and 0.28 seconds behind Moltzan. The young Croatian race skier has been having a successful season so far and skied the steep section aggressively. Just before the finish line she almost lost her balance and skied a gate on one leg but she managed to pull it back together, finishing run 1 in third place.
Team USA’s AJ Hurt, who had finished in third in the Giant Slalom the day before, qualified for run 2 in 13th place, 1.57 seconds behind Swenn Larsson.
Anna Swenn Larsson on course in Soldeu, Andorra. | Image: FIS Alpine Instagram
Run 2
Slalom races consist of two runs, with the top 30 skiers qualifying for run 2. The second run is held in reverse order, meaning the fastest skiers go last. The first skier out of the gate was Chiara Pogneaux from France who set the pace for run 2. With a time of 53.76 seconds, the French skier set a time that no subsequent skier was able to beat. With a combined time of 1:50.86 minutes, the 21-year-old skier sat in the leader’s position for the next 20 skiers, watching skier after skier failing to beat her combined time. In the end, the young French skier who is only in her second World Cup season finished in 10th place.
AJ Hurt, as the 18th starter of run 2, looked strong on the top section and extended her lead on Pogneaux to 1.35 seconds, but the steeper section in the snow was becoming lumpier as the day went on, and Hurt struggled to make the quick succession of turns accurately, losing her rhythm and stance, and causing the American to straddle a Slalom gate, resulting in a DNF for Hurt.
Then it was time for the top 10 from run 1. First up, ranked equal ninth with Austria’s Katharina Liensberger, was Sweden’s Sara Hector. The experienced skier was strong on the top section, almost a second ahead in parts, but the steeper mid-section cost her a second and she could not unseat the young French skier, who was just shrugging in the leader’s seat, unable to believe she was still in the lead. But then Liensberger, who had tied with Hector, managed to eke out a 0.02-second lead on Pogneaux, ending her long reign as leader.
Next up was Switzerland’s Camille Rast, who put down a magnificent second run, catapulting herself ahead of Liensberger by 0.57 seconds. Her lead however was promptly broken by her teammate Michelle Gisin by 0.14 seconds, who managed to ski inside the skied-out line while avoiding the lumpy snow mounts on the steep mid-section that so many had struggled with. Gisin held onto the lead for the next three skiers, with Ali Nullmeyer, Katharina Truppe, and Lena Dürr unable to unseat the experienced Swiss skier.
But then came the top three skiers from run 1 and first up was 20-year-old Zrinka Ljutic, who extended her 0.30-second lead from the start. Before the steep section, Ljutic was 1.10 seconds ahead of Gisin. She attacked the steep section with quick agility and aggression and skied into the lead 0.53 seconds ahead of Gisin. Paula Moltzan was next, but the American could not maintain her lead from run 1 on Ljutic, losing time on the steeper section, finishing 0.48 seconds behind Ljutic, but 0.05 seconds ahead of Gisin, in what was ultimately third place for the American.
Paula Moltzan on course in Soldeu, Andorra. | Image: FIS Alpine Instagram
The last skier was Anna Swenn Larsson who had a 0.42-second lead on Ljutic from run 1. She extended the lead on the top section to more than half a second and only gave back fractions on the steeper section. She weaved through the steep section only surrendering a few milliseconds and crossed the finish line 0.35 seconds ahead of Ljutic.
While it is not her first World Cup victory, it is the first time the Swede does not have to share the highest step on the podium with anyone, as she had to share her previous victory with Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener, when both had tied for first place in Killington, Vermont, in November 2022. The 32-year-old Swede has been having a mixed season, with no top 10 finishes in her first four Slalom races this season and even missing out on the qualification for run 2 in Levi, Finland. “From not qualifying in Levi to standing on the top …, it’s amazing,” she said as she fought back tears in the finish area. “It’s a journey and I’m so proud of myself. It’s sad that two queens [Shiffrin and Vlhova] are not here but I’m so happy to grab a victory,”
It marks Moltzan’s second career Slalom podium and the American skier said after the race: “Thus far, it’s been a season of really high highs and really low lows, so to finally take a step up on the podium feels really good, and a step in the right direction. I know we’re missing a lot of top competitors, but that doesn’t discount anybody’s skiing,” she added. “Everyone gave it their all in challenging conditions, and it shows.”
Meanwhile, the Men’s Slalom at Bansko, Bulgaria, was canceled due to poor weather. The race was called off after the first 31 skiers.
The women’s circuit moves to Crans-Montana, Switzerland, with two speed events, while the men’s races continue in Kvitfjell, Norway.
Paula Moltzan claimed 3rd place in Soldeu, Andorra. | Image: FIS Alpine Instagram
Industry News
