Mikaela Shiffrin and Sofia Goggia's Crystal Globe races: The heat is on

The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season is coming to a storming culmination – just two stops remain for the women before the World Cup Finals in Courchevel and Meribel, France, later this month.

That puts the spotlight firmly on ski racing's main stars, including Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States and Sofia Goggia of Italy, as they chase Crystal Globe honours – the prize awarded to the top skier in each of the five main disciplines as well as the overall standings.

Shiffrin, who unexpectedly skied out of three technical races – her specialty – at the recent Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, is level on points at the top of the general World Cup leaderboard with Slovakia's Olympic slalom champion Petra Vlhová.

And Goggia, who overcame a potentially season-ending injury to somehow make it back and win downhill silver in Beijing, may have an eye on challenging for the Super-G World Cup crown, with the downhill globe already all-but-decided in her favour.

So what stands in each skier's way?

Mikaela Shiffrin on bouncing back from the Olympics

It's safe to say Shiffrin's Olympic Games did not go to plan. She skied off course in the giant slalom and slalom events – having been defending champion in giant slalom and the 2014 champion in slalom – before again recording a DNF in the slalom portion of the combined.

In her six events in China, her best finish was fourth in the mixed team parallel slalom event – the United States being pipped by Norway in the bronze-medal final. Her best individual result was ninth in Super-G.

However, that disappointment is serving as motivation for the American, who told Olympics.com in an interview shortly after her final event: "I have won in my career and I'm going to win again, and ironically, I'm going to win because of the skiing that I've been doing these last couple of weeks while we've been here [in Beijing]."

While she hasn't raced since then, her Slovakian rival Vlhová has, scoring 17 points in two downhill races in Crans Montana to move level with Shiffrin on 1,026 points.

Both women are technical specialists. Vlhová has already clinched this year's slalom globe – Shiffrin is second in that discipline – while the American is 30 points ahead of her rival in the giant slalom standings, sitting behind Olympic champion Sara Hector and France's Tessa Worley.

Shiffrin isn't out of the running for the giant slalom globe yet, either – three races remain in that discipline this season.

And it seems her mind is already focused on what she needs to do to clinch both World Cup titles. In her Olympics.com interview, she noted that while she DNFed in her three technical races in Beijing, the form she showed is exactly what she was after.

"It’s some of the best skiing I've ever done," she said. "Even the first turns that I made in the races in tech [are] some of the best turns, or the best skiing, that I've started in a race; with the intensity and the mentality that I have to have in order to really have a shot at podiums and winning races."

In addition to the World Cup Finals, where every discipline (except combined) will be raced, two giant slalom, one slalom, and one Super-G race remain.

With up to 100 points on offer at each race, and Shiffrin having better Super-G results this season than Vlhová has had, her fellow competitors would be wise to only write Shiffrin off at their own peril.

Sofia Goggia in control of downhill race, with Super G still within reach

It looked as if the season might have been over early – with no Olympic appearance to try to defend her 2018 downhill gold medal – for Goggia after a heavy crash in the Super G at Cortina d'Ampezzo in January.

That fall sent shockwaves through Italy, which suddenly faced the prospect of their anointed Opening Ceremony flagbearer and heavy favourite for a second straight downhill gold having to miss the Games.

Against all the odds (and after skipping the Opening Ceremony, where snowboarder Michela Moioli carried Italy's flag), Goggia returned for the downhill. Not only that, but she smashed all expectations with a stunning run, letting out a delighted scream of "siiiiiiii" (yes in Italian) as she crossed the line to eventually win a hard-fought silver medal.

She was back in action in Crans Montana, scoring a third-place finish in the second downhill event in the Swiss resort. That helped moved her into third behind Shiffrin and Vlhová in the overall World Cup standings – and she can't be counted out of the reckoning just yet.

However, it's likely the Italian's focus will be on securing the downhill globe at the World Cup Finals. Corinne Suter, who won the Beijing downhill ahead of Goggia, is the only woman who can stop that happening – and even then, Switzerland's Suter needs a big points swing.

Speaking after her two races in Crans Montana, Goggia told reporters: "I'm happy I kept the [leader’s] red bib. I came here with a 59-point lead and I leave with 75 points of margin.

"Today (the Sunday, when she finished third) I told myself to continue my recovery process. It's a good step ahead, it was important to finish in front of Corinne, but I need to keep focussed until the Finals."

And Goggia had somewhat of a warning for her rivals. "I needed to have my confidence back and I found it," she said.

"Probably I'm not as aggressive as I used to, but little by little I'm getting there."

Goggia might even have an eye on another of the globe races – she is 145 points behind Super-G leader Federica Brignone in an Italian one-two-three in the second speed discipline (Elena Curtoni sits in second).

In addition to the Final in Courchevel, there is another Super-G race in Lenzerheide – which could help Goggia close the gap on Brignone and Curtoni.

All that sets up a storming end to the season in France.