The competition between Mikaela Shiffrin and her Swiss counterpart Camille Rast is intensifying as the countdown to the women’s slalom event at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics stands at 45 days.
Rast broke Shiffrin’s six-race winning streak in World Cup slaloms by edging out the American skier by 0.14 seconds in Slovenia, where she posted the fastest times in both runs. This victory marked Rast’s fourth career win and third in slalom.
Shiffrin praised Rast’s impressive skiing, acknowledging the challenge she faced to compete at her best. Despite the loss, Shiffrin expressed satisfaction with her own performance, highlighting a specific technical goal she achieved in her final run.
The triumph in Slovenia followed Rast’s maiden giant slalom win on the same hill, where she dedicated her victory to the victims of a recent fire near her hometown. Rast attributed her success to her strong energy and enjoyment of the excellent slope conditions.
Rast and Shiffrin dominated the field, with Wendy Holdener finishing a distant third, over 1.8 seconds behind. Shiffrin’s teammate Paula Moltzan claimed fourth place, the closest to the leading duo.
Shiffrin, a decorated skier with multiple world titles, continued to add to her impressive record, securing her 69th slalom win and 106th overall World Cup victory. Notably, defending slalom World Cup champion Zrinka Ljutic failed to finish once again this season.
Upcoming events include a night slalom race in Flachau and another slalom in the Czech Republic before the Winter Olympics. Additionally, Zauchensee will host downhill and super-G races in Austria next weekend, while no men’s World Cup races were held during this period.