The upcoming women’s slalom race at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics is already promising an exciting showdown between Mikaela Shiffrin and her Swiss competitor Camille Rast. Rast recently broke Shiffrin’s winning streak in World Cup slaloms by narrowly defeating her by 0.14 seconds in Slovenia. Despite Rast leading after the first leg in Austria last week, Shiffrin managed to make up time on a challenging course to secure the win.
During the recent event in Slovenia, Rast maintained her lead from the first run, clinching her fourth career victory and third slalom win. Shiffrin praised Rast’s strong performance and acknowledged the need to give her best to compete. Following the race, Shiffrin expressed satisfaction with her own skiing and highlighted her focus on technical aspects during the final run.
Rast’s triumph in the slalom race came shortly after she secured her first giant slalom win at the same venue. She dedicated her victories to the victims of a tragic fire near her hometown. Rast emphasized the importance of energy and preparation in achieving success on the challenging slope.
The competition between Shiffrin and Rast left the rest of the field far behind, with Wendy Holdener finishing third, trailing Rast by a significant 1.83 seconds. Shiffrin’s teammate Paula Moltzan took fourth place, closely following the top racers. Shiffrin, a dominant force in slalom skiing, added to her impressive record with her 69th slalom win and 106th overall World Cup victory.
Meanwhile, the next slalom race is set to take place on January 13 in Flachau, followed by another race in the Czech Republic before the Olympics. The upcoming weekend will feature downhill and super-G races in Zauchensee, Austria, while the men’s World Cup races were not held this past weekend.