Mikaela Shiffrin bags golden treble in Semmering with World Cup slalom win
Two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin secured the golden treble of the three-day series at Semmering for a career 80th World Cup victory. Results from the women's slalom race in Austria, part of the FIS World Cup series 2022/23.
Alpine Skiing
American alpine skiing legend Mikaela Shiffrin ended 2022 on a high note speeding to an 80th FIS World Cup victory with a win in the slalom in Semmering on Thursday (29 December).
Shiffrin underlined her class with a third win in as many days with a combined time of 1:43.26 in the slalom after also topping the podium in the giant slalom at the same venue in Austria. She finished 0.29s ahead of compatriot Paula Moltzan (1:43.55), with Germany’s Lena Duerr rounding off the podium with 1:43.55.
Shiffrin was her dominant self in her pet event posting the fastest times on both her runs to clinch a record 50th career slalom victory.
“I skied really strong all three days and was really happy with my feeling,” Shiffrin told the FIS.
“I knew it was going to be bumpy and had some tough spots but I have been trying not to look ahead too much. I did not want to be too conservative on the second run, it wasn’t really planned but I just tried to be athletic and smart and it worked okay.”
Racing to the golden treble in Semmering is a repeat of her December 2016 feat when all three events were held on three consecutive days.
The 27-year-old Shiffrin is just two victories shy of the record held by retired compatriot Lindsey Vonn for most World Cup victories by a woman. The all-time record is 86 from Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark.
“I don’t really have anything I can say about that has not already been said. I don’t even understand it yet,” Shiffrin said about edging closer to the ultimate milestone.
READ: Lindsey Vonn on Mikaela Shiffrin: 'She is the best skier that has ever lived in my eyes'
Shiffrin consolidated her lead at the top of the overall rankings with 875 points edging closer to a fifth big crystal globe. Slovak sensation Petra Vlhova (506 points) is in second place, with Italy’s downhill queen Sofia Goggia lying third on 470.
Earlier in the day, Marco Odermatt won the men's Super G race in Bormio, on the same day triple Olympic champion Matthias Mayer announed his retirement from ski racing.
FIS World Cup – Women's Slalom: Semmering, Austria – Results - Thursday 29 December
- Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) – 1:43.26
- Paula Moltzan (USA) – 1:43.55
- Lena Duerr (GER) – 1:43.60
- Petra Vlhova (SVK) – 1:44.02
- Wendy Holdener (SUI) – 1:44.16
- Zrinka Ljutic (CRO) – 1:44.27
Anna Swenn Larsson (SWE) – 1:44.27 - Ana Bucik (SLO) – 1:44.81
- Hanna Aronsson Elfman (SWE) – 1:44.97
- Martina Dubovska (CZE) – 1:45.33