Mikaela Shiffrin and Marco Schwarz GEPA photographs
Because the snow falls and the gates drop, the heartbeat of pleasure quickens for each women and men within the 2023-24 World Cup Slalom season. From Levi, Finland, to Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, the slopes have witnessed fierce battles, surprising twists, and the rise of formidable contenders.
Girls’s World Cup slalom season overview
Because the Girls’s World Cup Slalom season expenses ahead, the battle between the snowboarding titans, Petra Vlhová and Mikaela Shiffrin, is fascinating. The competitors is heating up, with 5 races within the rearview mirror, and the drama unfolds on the slopes.
The season kicked off in Levi, Finland, the place Vlhová claimed victory within the first race, leaving Shiffrin in a stunning fourth place. The tables turned within the second Levi race when Vlhová skied out of the course after dominating the primary run, paving the best way for Shiffrin to grab the win.
The third showdown occurred in Killington, Vermont, with Shiffrin reclaiming her dominance, securing the highest spot and relegating Vlhová to second place. Courchevel, France, hosted an exhilarating evening race simply earlier than Christmas. Shiffrin led after the primary run however was overtaken by Vlhová within the finale, including one other layer of depth to their rivalry.
Lienz, Austria, witnessed the final battle earlier than the New 12 months break, and as soon as once more, Shiffrin emerged victorious. Nonetheless, Vlhová confronted a problem, ending fifth place and lacking the rostrum.
With six races left within the schedule, the hunt for the 2023-24 slalom title guarantees extra twists and turns. Mikaela Shiffrin, a powerhouse within the Stifel US Ski Crew, boasts a formidable profession with 56 World Cup slalom victories, making her a drive to be reckoned with.
Whereas Shiffrin and Vlhová command the highest spots, Germany’s Lena Duerr maintains a constant presence in third place, outpacing Swiss veteran Michele Gisin. Duerr, missing the velocity to problem the frontrunners, stays a formidable contender within the season.
Different notable North Individuals
North American ladies are making their mark within the slalom self-discipline this season. Canada’s Ali Null Meyer, a Middlebury Faculty graduate, stands robust in sixth place, persistently ending inside the highest 15. Paula Moltzan, a former College of Vermont Catamount from the Stifel US Ski Crew, holds thirteenth, showcasing resilience with prime 10 finishes in Courchevel and Killington.
Laurence St Germain, an All-American from the College of Vermont and the reigning World Championship Slalom winner from Canada, confronted setbacks with an ankle damage after a promising 2nd race in Levi. Regardless of lacking the final two races, she holds the twentieth spot for the season.
College of Denver All-American Amelia Good from Alpine Canada Alpin, presently ranked thirty third, rallied with a surprising Lienz 14th-place end, injecting recent momentum into her season after a slower-than-expected season begin. Stifel US Ski Crew’s AJ Harm can be proving her world-class velocity, clinching a twenty fifth place in Courchevel.
The Stifel US Ski Crew is second to Austria within the ladies’s Slalom Nations Cup standings.
The Girls’s World Cup Slalom 2023-24 is shaping as much as be an exhilarating battle, the place each flip and each race brings new challenges and triumphs. Because the season progresses, the snowboarding world eagerly awaits the unfolding drama on the slopes.
Click on on photos to enlarge.
The following Girls’s World Cup slalom is scheduled for January seventh in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia.
Males’s World Cup slalom season overview
The heart beat of the boys’s World Cup Slalom season quickens come January, hurtling towards an exhilarating climax that features two thrilling races within the US – one in Palisades Tahoe and one other in Aspen.
Two males’s slaloms have already seen completion, with ten extra eagerly anticipated.
The season kicked off in Gurgl, Austria, the place the house staff’s dominance electrified the rostrum. Nonetheless, the Val d’Isere SL in France confronted cancellation as a result of extreme climate. But, the evening race in Madonna di Campiglio was a spectacular success, a pre-Christmas present for ski racing fans in Italy.
The season introduced two seismic modifications: Norwegian Lucas Braathen, final season’s slalom title winner, introduced his retirement from the World Cup at 23, citing irreconcilable variations with the Norwegian Federation.
Including to the drama, Austrian Marco Schwarz, the season’s slalom chief, suffered a knee damage throughout the Bormio downhill race, closing the curtain on his aggressive season. Schwarz, a uncommon four-event skier, showcased his prowess with 2nd and 1st place within the first two slaloms. His absence reshuffles the deck, propelling Austrian teammate Manuel Feller into the highest spot amongst these nonetheless in search of slalom glory, 35 factors forward of Britain’s Dave Ryding.
Feller’s early triumph in Gurgl, Austria, and a decent fifth place in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, showcase his expertise as the brand new title contender. Nonetheless, there’s loads of ski racing left within the season.
North American Frustration
On the North American entrance, the 2024 Slalom season began at a slower tempo. Alpine Canada’s Erik Learn was the only real athlete to attain within the first two races. Regardless of a stumble in Gurgl, failing to qualify for the second run, Learn rebounded in Madonna di Campiglio, ending twenty fifth.
The Stifel US Ski Crew has confronted a difficult season. Luke Winters, traditionally the USA’s prime energetic slalom skier with three profession top-ten outcomes, and teammate Jett Seymour, who secured seventh place in Chamonix, France, final season, have but to seek out their rhythm.
In latest historical past, North American males’s Slalom has been the weakest self-discipline for the continent. Final season, no North American male skiers certified for the World Cup finals in Slalom. Alpine Canada Alpin and the Stifel US Ski Crew, each boasting proficient slalom skiers, persist of their efforts to crack the code.
Because the season unfolds, the North Individuals stay hopeful, aiming to seek out their velocity over the vacations and conquer the slalom challenges awaiting within the races to come back.
The following males’s World Cup slalom is scheduled for January seventh in Adelboden, Switzerland.
Because the World Cup season progresses, the drama on the slopes continues to captivate followers worldwide. Whether or not it’s Mikaela Shiffrin and Petra Vlhová dominating the ladies’s circuit or the Austrian powerhouse Manuel Feller main the cost for the boys, each race brings a recent chapter of pleasure and problem. Keep tuned for the exhilarating conclusion of the 2023-24 World Cup Slalom season, the place triumphs and setbacks weave the tapestry of an unforgettable winter sports activities spectacle.
