ÅRE, Sweden – Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin celebrated her remarkable eighth World Cup slalom win of the season with a loud scream of joy after finishing her race on Sunday. This victory was especially important as she faced strong competition from her main rival, Emma Aicher.
Shiffrin skied impressively, pulling ahead of Aicher by nearly a second. “I was really nervous and excited,” Shiffrin said, reflecting on the challenge. “I pushed hard and was just happy to finish.” Aicher’s second-place finish marked her best-ever result in slalom, confirming her status as a serious contender for Shiffrin’s overall title.
Aicher, a rising star, is only 22 and has made significant strides this season. She was thrilled to be in contention for the title after finishing 15th overall last year. “It’s huge for me,” Aicher stated. However, she acknowledged it’s tough to catch Shiffrin, who still leads the standings by 140 points with four races left. Each win earns the skier 100 points, making every race vital.
Shiffrin’s thrilling competition with Aicher adds excitement to this year’s World Cup. “Emma is skiing incredibly well across the board,” Shiffrin noted. “It keeps the battle interesting.” Shiffrin aims to match the women’s record of six overall titles held by the legendary Annemarie Moser-Pröll from the 1970s.
This season, Shiffrin focused on slalom and giant slalom (GS), accumulating 1,286 points, including 880 from slalom. She secured her ninth slalom globe earlier this year, a feat that highlights her dominance. Meanwhile, Aicher has also performed well, gathering nine podiums, including three wins in speed events.
Shiffrin praised Aicher’s calm demeanor, recognizing her as a top contender in all disciplines. “It’s incredible to see someone perform so well across every event,” Shiffrin remarked. This season, Shiffrin has already achieved 72 slalom wins and 109 overall, setting World Cup records for both categories.
Looking back, Åre has been a significant venue for Shiffrin. She’s won seven slaloms there, including her first victory in 2012, and also took world titles in slalom and super-G in 2019. Interestingly, no other skier has won more than two World Cup races in Åre.
As the World Cup Finals approach in Norway, both men and women will compete in speed events at Kvitfjell next weekend, followed by GS and slalom on March 24-25. Shiffrin’s journey remains captivating, and her rivalry with Aicher adds an exciting dimension to the sport this season.
