GURGL, Austria — On Saturday, Mikaela Shiffrin took a significant step toward achieving her 99th career victory in the women’s World Cup slalom by leading the pack in the opening run.
While her performance had some challenging moments on the steep sections of the Kirchenkar course, Shiffrin managed to excel towards the end, securing a time that surpassed all her competitors.
Wendy Holdener, who had the fastest times at the initial splits, closely followed Shiffrin, finishing just 0.13 seconds behind her. Holdener had faced setbacks last season due to a fractured left ankle and was looking to make a strong comeback.
Shiffrin described the conditions as “pretty strange,” noting the cold and dry surface made it difficult to achieve a smooth run. She expressed feelings of unfamiliarity in some parts of the course but persevered, pushing through to the finish line.
“I find it to be really challenging to find the right setup to feel clean and to feel like you can unleash the skis,” she commented, highlighting the difficulties presented by the surface.
Should Shiffrin maintain her lead during the second run later in the day, she will have up to five opportunities next week to secure her milestone 100th win at various North American locations, including Killington in Vermont, Mont-Tremblant in Quebec, and Beaver Creek in Colorado.
No skier, male or female, has surpassed 86 World Cup race victories, with Shiffrin breaking the record previously held by Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark in March 2023.
During the competition, Katharina Liensberger of Austria finished in third place, trailing Shiffrin by 0.52 seconds, while Italian rising star Lara Colturi, competing for Albania, followed closely in fourth, just 0.09 seconds behind Liensberger.
Just a week earlier, Shiffrin and Liensberger had secured the top two spots in the first slalom race of the season held in Levi, Finland.
Shiffrin’s teammate, Paula Moltzan, finished seventh, only 0.75 seconds off the pace, making her the last racer within a second of the lead.
Notably, Olympic champion Petra Vlhova, who has been a primary contender against Shiffrin in slalom events, has not yet returned to the ski circuit after knee surgery last season.
Gurgl is hosting its first women’s World Cup event this season, having previously held a men’s race last year. The venue is located in the Austrian Alps, just a short drive from Soelden, which marked the traditional season opener four weeks prior.