ÅRE, Sweden — Mikaela Shiffrin missed out on a slalom victory on Sunday but still made history by setting a new World Cup record with her 156th career podium finish.
Leading after the first run despite steady snowfall, Shiffrin struggled in her second attempt, posting only the 25th-fastest time and ultimately finishing third, just 0.19 seconds behind unexpected winner Katharina Truppe. Austria’s Katharina Liensberger secured second place, trailing her teammate by 0.05 seconds. Truppe, at 29, celebrated her first-ever World Cup victory.
“Katharina Day!” Shiffrin said, embracing the two Austrians who finished ahead of her.
By securing her 156th top-three World Cup finish, Shiffrin surpassed Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark’s previous record. She had already broken Stenmark’s all-time wins record, now standing at 100 victories compared to his 86.
To remain in contention for a ninth career slalom season title, Shiffrin needed a win to collect 100 points, though her chances were already slim. Her campaign was hampered by missing four races following a severe crash in giant slalom last November.
With Olympic slalom champion Petra Vlhova sidelined for the season due to a knee injury, the race for the overall title has been left wide open.
The final slalom race of the World Cup season is set for March 27 in Sun Valley, Idaho, with four skiers ahead of Shiffrin and within 100 points of the title. Zrinka Ljutic and Camille Rast, the reigning world champion, both struggled on Sunday, finishing 10th and 11th, respectively.
Heading into the final race, the 21-year-old Ljutic leads Rast in the standings by 41 points and will secure the title with a podium finish. Liensberger and Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener also remain in contention for the crystal globe trophy.
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