Mikaela Shiffrin / GEPA footage
Flachau, Austria — Mikaela Shiffrin as soon as once more proved untouchable underneath the lights, successful Tuesday’s ladies’s World Cup evening slalom in Flachau and increasing probably the most dominant slalom runs the game has ever seen.
Shiffrin secured her sixth profession Flachau victory, her sixth slalom win of the season, her seventieth World Cup slalom victory, and her 111th profession World Cup slalom podium. She completed 0.41 seconds forward of Moltzan after discovering decisive velocity within the closing two sectors, simply as she did within the opening run.
Prime 5 — Girls’s Flachau Slalom
1st — 🇺🇸 USA Mikaela Shiffrin — 1995 — Atomic, Oakley — +0.00
2nd — 🇺🇸 USA Paula Moltzan — 1994 — — — +0.41
third — 🇦🇹 AUT Katharina Truppe — 1996 — Völkl — +0.65
4th — 🇨🇭 SUI Camille Rast — 1999 — HEAD — +0.91
fifth — 🇨🇭 SUI Wendy Holdener — 1993 — HEAD — +1.02
The outcome additionally delivered a robust group second for the Stifel U.S. Ski Workforce, with Paula Moltzan ending second. It marked the primary U.S. ladies’s one–two since Semmering 2022, in the identical order, the identical skiers.
Austria’s Katharina Truppe accomplished the rostrum, sending the Flachau crowd into full celebration with a home-nation outcome that carried monumental weight.
How Shiffrin gained it
Shiffrin began the second run with a 0.19-second lead over Moltzan. She gave up time early on a slope that consistently disrupts rhythm with aggressive rollers, however she by no means misplaced management of the race.
“The second run really felt like a extremely good observe,” Shiffrin stated. “There wasn’t lots of room, for positive, but it surely was fairly pleasing to ski.”
Like the primary run, she delivered her greatest snowboarding within the closing two sectors, extending her benefit decisively on the backside. Regardless that she recorded solely the seventh-fastest second run, her capability to handle strain and assault when it mattered proved decisive.
“There’s a really particular feeling when the skis are actually fast,” she stated. “However it’s so onerous to really feel that for the entire course on this hill. Each single time you get a curler, it breaks your rhythm.”
“It simply saved getting louder”
Staying sturdy over the terrain, Shiffrin stated, was the important thing — even when nothing feels excellent.
“The secret’s being sturdy and assured over the rollers, however that’s simply so onerous to do,” she stated. “I simply tried to push each flip. It’s by no means quick sufficient, however you retain attempting.”
The group added one other layer of issue. As Camille Rast, Katharina Truppe, and Paula Moltzan every crossed the road with inexperienced chief lights, the noise constructed steadily.
“Even from the beginning, there have been individuals yelling and children shouting,” Shiffrin stated. “It’s a psychological problem to be proper there in the proper second.”
By the point she pushed out of the gate, the environment had reached full quantity.
“It simply saved getting louder,” she stated. “I didn’t assume that was potential.”
Sharing the rostrum with Moltzan made the win much more significant.
“It’s wonderful to share this with Paula,” Shiffrin stated. “Podiums with teammates are the most effective factor on this planet.”
Moltzan closes the hole with a assured, full run
Paula Moltzan delivered an aggressive second run Tuesday evening, attacking from the beginning and carrying velocity via the center, and delivered a U.S. one–two underneath the lights in Flachau.
Moltzan left the gate with intent, skied cleanly via the rollers, and crossed the road 0.24 seconds forward of Katharina Truppe, guaranteeing herself at the very least second place with solely Mikaela Shiffrin nonetheless to ski. The outcome marked Moltzan’s fourth profession World Cup slalom podium.
“It feels a bit lengthy awaited,” Moltzan stated. “However I’m actually grateful.”
She stated a central focus this winter has been narrowing the hole to Shiffrin — and Tuesday’s efficiency mirrored that progress.
“There have been only a few occasions in my life that I’ve crushed Mikaela,” Moltzan stated. “However I feel at the moment nonetheless exhibits I’m getting nearer.”
Moltzan emphasised simply how deep and unpredictable the ladies’s slalom subject has turn into.
“The extent of girls’s World Cup slalom proper now’s untouchable,” she stated. “On any given day, you actually don’t know who’s going to be on the rostrum.”
Sharing the outcome along with her longtime teammate made the evening much more significant.
“I really like being on the rostrum with my teammates,” Moltzan stated. “So to share this one with Mikaela feels further particular.”
She additionally credited the course situations within the closing run, noting that regardless of heavy visitors, the slope remained honest.
“There have been lots of breakdowns, however the rut was fairly clear,” Moltzan stated. “It was totally skiable.”
Already Olympic certified, Moltzan left Flachau with momentum — and a rising perception that her first World Cup victory is coming.
Truppe delivers for Austria
Katharina Truppe gave the Flachau crowd precisely what it needed, preventing via nerves to say her sixth profession World Cup slalom podium — and her first on house snow.
The Austrian stated the strain was quick within the begin gate.
“It was a bit powerful for me within the second run as a result of I used to be so nervous at the beginning,” Truppe stated.
Regardless of shedding time early, she stayed aggressive and dedicated because the course opened up.
“I knew I needed to push and go to the restrict,” she stated. “I needed to put all of it collectively.”
When she crossed the road and noticed inexperienced, the response was instantaneous.
“I used to be so completely happy once I noticed the inexperienced gentle,” Truppe stated.
The vitality from the gang performed a job all through the run.
“I heard them and thought, ‘OK, I’ve to push as a result of they wish to have a present,’” she stated.
Truppe’s third-place end ignited the Flachau stadium and delivered Austria a podium second that carried practically as a lot weight as a victory.
Large Movers — Second Run Impression
eighth — 🇦🇱 ALB Lara Colturi — 2006 — — — +1.79Fastest second run; moved up 8 positions
thirteenth — 🇺🇸 USA Nina O’Brien — 1997 — — — +2.33Second-fastest second run; moved up 10 positions
Stifel U.S. Ski Workforce — Closing Outcomes
1st — 🇺🇸 USA Mikaela Shiffrin — 1995 — Atomic, Oakley — +0.00
2nd — 🇺🇸 USA Paula Moltzan — 1994 — — — +0.41
thirteenth — 🇺🇸 USA Nina O’Brien — 1997 — — — +2.33
O’Brien delivered one of many standout second runs of the evening, posting the second-fastest time within the closing run and charging 10 positions up the leaderboard to complete thirteenth, tying her greatest profession World Cup slalom outcome.
“I really feel actually good about it,” O’Brien stated. “I feel I had method each runs. The primary run felt like good, stable snowboarding.”
Beginning larger within the order for the second run, she made probably the most of improved situations.
“Within the second run, I actually needed to benefit from a greater begin and course,” she stated. “I really feel like I used to be in a position to do this, and it’s step ahead.”
Already Olympic certified, O’Brien stated she is having fun with the method and starting to search out extra rhythm throughout each technical occasions.
“I’m actually having fun with racing,” she stated. “I really feel like I’m discovering slightly extra move in each occasions. I’m excited to maintain constructing and hold sending it.”
She additionally pointed to the group’s depth after watching the first-run performances from Shiffrin and Moltzan.
“It was fairly inspiring seeing what Paula and Mikaela had been capable of throw down within the first run,” O’Brien stated. “We’ve talked loads about our GS velocity, but it surely’s cool to see the slalom velocity our group has too.”
Canada — Closing Outcomes
twenty first — 🇨🇦 CAN Ali Nullmeyer — 1998 — Atomic — +2.87strong return from harm
twenty second — 🇨🇦 CAN Laurence St-Germain — 1994 — +2.94
St-Germain’s race ended dramatically after a tough crash past the end. The previous world champion stayed down briefly, drawing silence from the gang earlier than rising to loud applause.
One other Flachau basic
Shiffrin didn’t want the quickest second run to win. She wanted excellence and the power to ship when the race demanded it most.
On an evening outlined by strain, noise, and razor-thin margins, she delivered once more — reinforcing why Flachau continues to be considered one of her defining phases.
Race Outcomes
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Race Evaluation: Leaders & Different Certified North Individuals
