In Shiffrin's living room: Robinson drives away from everyone

Mikaela Shiffrin is the hero of the crowds in Copper Mountain (USA). Hundreds of spectators came on Saturday to see her win the giant slalom. However, after the first run, another athlete had secured the best starting position: Alice Robinson.

29 November 2025

From: leo

For the first time in 24 years, the popular training facility is hosting women's World Cup races this weekend. The star of the scene, Mikaela Shiffrin, enjoys a home advantage, having grown up in Vail, just 30 kilometers away. To the disappointment of the fans in attendance, the superstar struggled in the first run, finishing more than 1,70 seconds behind Alice Robinson, who was leading at the halfway point.

Despite perfect conditions, Shiffrin, who finished only 18th, never found her rhythm. Although no major mistakes were apparent, her deficit steadily increased. When she crossed the finish line and saw the gap, she seemed perplexed. It appeared as if the American – like her teammate Sofia Goggia – couldn't find the right setup on the dry, aggressive snow.

Mikaela Shiffrin needs a miracle. © APA / SEAN M. HAFFEY

Alice Robinson, on the other hand, felt completely at ease. The New Zealander chose the tightest line and took the greatest risks on the relatively undemanding course, beating Sara Hector's time by three-tenths of a second. Only Sölden winner Julia Scheib (+0,60 seconds) and Germany's Lena Dürr (+0,94) managed to keep the gap under a second.

Goggia follows behind

Since Goggia struggled and only just managed to qualify for the second run (24th), Asja Zenere is the best Italian skier. The 29-year-old is in 12th place, 1,38 seconds behind the leader. Lara Della Mea (23rd) will also be competing in the final run starting at 9:30 p.m. No skiers from South Tyrol participated.

Giant slalom at Copper Mountain, 1st run: