American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin once again proved her dominance during the 2025–26 FIS World Cup season, delivering another standout performance in women’s slalom. The 30-year-old secured her sixth straight World Cup victory overall and her fifth consecutive win this season with a triumph in Semmering, Austria.
Despite the result, Shiffrin admitted the win did not feel entirely satisfying. She explained that difficult and unpredictable conditions made the race far more challenging than expected, turning what should have been a celebratory moment into a frustrating experience.
Shiffrin Raises Safety Concerns Over Race Conditions
Following the event, Shiffrin openly criticized the race organizers, expressing concern about athlete safety. Speaking to local media, she pointed out that the competition was disrupted by unsafe course conditions that affected nearly every skier in the field.
“It was a very challenging and distracting day,” Shiffrin said, as quoted by The Guardian. “Thankfully, there were no serious injuries, but the way the surface was deteriorating was alarming. The second run improved somewhat, but overall, I’m disappointed with how things unfolded for the women.”
Unfavorable weather conditions forced organizers to treat the course with water and salt in an effort to preserve it. However, the strategy backfired, as the snow surface broke down during the afternoon session, causing lengthy delays and interruptions.
Although Shiffrin escaped injury, she noted the toll the conditions took on competitors’ confidence and rhythm. Of the 77 skiers who started the race, only 40 were able to complete the opening run due to repeated stoppages.
Momentum Builds Toward the Olympics
Even with the disruptions, Shiffrin maintained her composure to edge out Switzerland’s reigning world champion Camille Rast by just 0.09 seconds. Albania’s Lara Colturi rounded out the podium in third place.
The victory further strengthened Shiffrin’s grip on both the overall and slalom World Cup standings, reinforcing her status as a favorite heading into the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics scheduled for early February.
Already a two-time Olympic gold medalist with an additional silver, Shiffrin also captured team combined gold at the 2025 World Championships. As she looks ahead to the next Olympics, she is eager to make amends for the disappointment of the 2022 Beijing Games, where her best finish was fourth in the women’s team combined event.
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