Emma Aicher impressed in the first heat. © ANSA / JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT

The bullet fight has reignited

Mikaela Shiffrin has an 85-point lead over Emma Aicher in the overall World Cup standings going into the final race of the season. But the German skier made her mark in the first run of the giant slalom.

March 25, 2026

From: dl

Canadian Valerie Grenier is sensationally in the lead, having posted the fastest time despite starting with bib number 15 and beating Sweden's Sara Hector by two hundredths of a second. Emma Aicher is currently third (+0,26 seconds), after a phenomenal first run. It's worth noting that the young German had never before stood on a giant slalom podium.

Mikaela Shiffrin is currently only in 17th place. If the American finishes in the points, meaning at least 15th, she will win the overall World Cup title for the sixth time. The fact is: the battle for the crystal globe has become more exciting after the first run than it actually was before the race. This is also due to the fact that the higher bib numbers posted relatively good times.

Anna Trocker points out again

Aicher absolutely has to win the giant slalom; otherwise, all the calculations are pointless. The next surprise came from Anna Trocker. The 17-year-old from Völs, who had achieved her first top-ten finish in the slalom the previous day, was even ahead of the leader, Grenier, after the first split time. In the end, Trocker finished in 12th place. The women's giant slalom final in Lillehammer starts at 12:30 pm.