Semmering oddity: Shiffrin wins the chaos slalom

Mikaela Shiffrin won the slalom at Semmering, but it wasn't just her fourth consecutive victory there that provided plenty of talking points for ski fans and athletes.

28 December 2025

From: do

After lengthy discussions, heated debates, and numerous unanswered questions, everything ultimately remained the same: Mikaela Shiffrin won the night slalom in Semmering for the fourth time in a row. The American prevailed over Switzerland's Camille Rast (+0,09 seconds) and Lara Colturi, competing for Albania (+0,57 seconds) – a dominant sporting victory, but organizationally embedded in an evening that will be remembered for a long time to come.

Already The first round resulted in 40 dropouts. This caused some furrowed brows – a figure not seen in about 25 years. The second run was also ill-fated from the start. The trigger was a tricky sequence of gates in the upper section of the course, which Shiffrin openly criticized to those in charge.

Short-term reaction

The reaction: The section was rerouted – but only after an inspection. This meant the runners would have had to navigate this section without prior knowledge of the course. To counter the protests, the federation sent a video of the altered section to the member nations. This measure was not universally well-received: The Italian federation, for example, publicly expressed its irritation at this approach.

The American woman remained unfazed. © APA / GEORG HOCHMUTH

Besides the ongoing discussions, a second run was still on the agenda. The slope proved somewhat gentler than in the first run, and no major dramas unfolded. Instead of a fight for survival, the focus shifted back to the sporting competition – as it should be in the World Cup. Even the last-minute adjustment of the gate sequence ultimately led to no significant changes in the standings.

Shiffrin's Magic Walk

With each skier, however, the course became rougher. Deep ruts and an uneven surface caused particular problems for the top starters in the first run. Shiffrin coped best once again: With the fastest time in the final run, she stormed from fourth place to the very front, leaving the competition no chance. Neither Rast, who had been leading at one point, nor the ambitious Colturi, who was eyeing her first World Cup victory, could counter the American's attack.

Lara Colturi was delighted to secure another podium finish. © APA / GEORG HOCHMUTH

From an Italian perspective, the evening was sobering. The Azzurre never really found their rhythm at Semmering. Only Martina Peterlini and Lara Della Mea qualified for the second run. Peterlini finished in 15th place (+5,39), while Della Mea dropped back to 23rd (+8,57) after a major mistake.