Mikaela Shiffrin moved to the brink of securing another overall World Cup title after delivering a record-breaking slalom victory on Tuesday.
The American dominated the race, claiming her ninth slalom win in ten starts this season and finishing 1.32 seconds ahead of Wendy Holdener. The result earned her 100 points, while Emma Aicher, who placed third, collected 60 points keeping Shiffrin’s overall lead at 85 points heading into the final race.
As a result, the battle for the overall title will be decided in Wednesday’s season-ending giant slalom. Aicher must win the race to have any chance of overtaking Shiffrin, while the American only needs a top-15 finish to clinch the title.
Shiffrin acknowledged the unusual dynamic of competing against Aicher, whom she considers a friend, describing the rivalry as exciting with one final race left to determine the outcome.
Statistically, Shiffrin holds a strong advantage. Aicher has yet to win a World Cup giant slalom and has never finished higher than fourth, a mark she achieved earlier this month in Åre. Meanwhile, Shiffrin an Olympic champion in the discipline has the experience and consistency needed to close it out.
Holdener also played a key role by finishing second, narrowly edging Aicher by 0.04 seconds and denying her an additional 20 points.
Tuesday’s victory marked Shiffrin’s 110th career World Cup win, extending her all-time record beyond Ingmar Stenmark, who recorded 86 wins. If she secures the overall title, it will be her sixth matching the women’s record set by Annemarie Moser-Pröll.
In addition to her overall title push, Shiffrin set another milestone by recording nine wins in a single discipline during one season, a record unmatched in six decades of World Cup competition. She had already secured her ninth career slalom season title earlier.
Reflecting on her campaign, Shiffrin described the season as intense and exhilarating, expressing gratitude for the experience as she heads into the decisive final race.
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