SUN VALLEY, Idaho — Mikaela Shiffrin showcased her exceptional skills by taking the lead in the slalom’s first run at the World Cup finals on Thursday. Maneuvering gracefully through the complex course, the American ski star registered a time of 52.05 seconds. This puts Shiffrin 0.59 seconds ahead of Germany’s Lena Duerr for the final run, with all other competitors trailing by over a second.
Shiffrin’s performance was met with enthusiastic cheers from the crowd at Sun Valley. Despite a season plagued with injuries, this is her sole event at the finals. The 30-year-old Shiffrin has missed four slalom events this year, removing her from contention for a third consecutive crystal globe in the discipline. However, a strong final run could still land her a second or third-place finish, given favorable conditions and outcomes.
Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutic currently leads the slalom standings for the season. She completed her first run in 12th place, trailing Shiffrin by 1.99 seconds. At 21, Ljutic, who received last season’s “rising star” accolade, remains a skier to watch as the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics approach. Meanwhile, Camille Rast from Switzerland occupies the 14th position after the first run and is 41 points behind Ljutic in the slalom rankings.
For Shiffrin, this challenging season is nearing its end. She has been recovering from a significant giant slalom accident in Killington, Vermont, last November, which resulted in severe injuries to her oblique muscles and psychological trauma, manifesting as post-traumatic stress in giant slalom events.
Despite these setbacks, Shiffrin celebrated a noteworthy achievement this season by clinching her 100th World Cup victory at a slalom event in Italy on February 23. As anticipation builds for Shiffrin potentially securing her 101st World Cup win on Thursday, young fans in the audience donned puppy costumes in a playful homage to Disney’s “101 Dalmatians.”
Shiffrin’s dominance in slalom extends beyond this season. She has claimed victory in three of the five slalom races she has entered this year. Throughout her illustrious career, Shiffrin has reached the podium in 88 out of 117 World Cup slalom events, boasting a 75.2% podium finish rate and a striking 53.8% win rate, with 63 victories to her name.