Paula Moltzan (left) and winner Mikaela Shiffrin celebrate enthusiastically. © APA / BARBARA GINDL

Flachau spectacle: Shiffrin's show and a bizarre crash

The night slalom in Flachau is one of the major highlights of the women's ski calendar. The show was certainly not lacking on Tuesday either.

13 January 2026

From: det

When the Night Race in Flachau is on, one thing is clear: it's going to be a spectacle! If only because 12.000 fans transform the Austrian ski resort into a cauldron of noise. Tuesday was no exception. In a thrilling race, Mikaela Shiffrin ultimately emerged – as expected – as the queen of the Flachau night.

In her 107th World Cup victory (her 70th in slalom), the American skier finished ahead of her good friend and compatriot Paula Moltzan (+0,41 seconds). Austrian Katharina Truppe took third place, sparking huge celebrations at the finish line. Camille Rast, who nine days earlier was the only athlete to snatch a slalom victory from Shiffrin, had to settle for fourth place this time.

Mikaela Shiffrin was unbeatable. © APA / BARBARA GINDL

Even after the first run – in which a staggering 31 athletes failed to finish – this quartet was already in the lead. Anyone hoping for a surprise, meaning a winner other than Shiffrin, was disappointed. The greatest female skier of all time kept her cool in the cauldron of noise, and even though she initially lost time in the final run, she turned on the afterburners in the lower section and practically flew to victory. For Shiffrin, it was her sixth slalom win in seven races.

Wild fall after the finish line

The most bizarre scene of the evening involved another athlete. Laurence St-Germain, the 2023 slalom world champion, crashed in the finish area. The Canadian crossed the finish line in the second run, but her skis caught badly, causing her to perform a wild somersault, lose both skis, and lie dazed. After this frightening moment, St-Germain, with the help of a coach, got to her feet and was able to leave the finish area on her own. Just recently, Swiss skier Wendy Holdener suffered a similar mishap.



There was reason to celebrate for the Italian team. Lara Della Mea, by far the best slalom skier in Italy, made up eight positions in the final run after a disastrous first run, finishing in 11th place. Martina Peterlini finished in 16th place. No skiers from South Tyrol competed in Flachau.

The technical skiers are now taking a break; two speed races are scheduled for this weekend in Tarvisio (Friuli-Venezia Giulia). The downhill is on Saturday, and the Super-G is on Sunday.