Ski World Cup 2025: Shiffrin in front of a record - who can stop the legend?

Ski World Cup 2025: Shiffrin in front of a record - who can stop the legend?

On Saturday, February 14, 2025, the eagerly awaited slalom final of the Women's World Ski Championships will take place in Saalbach. In this final appearance, the best athletes compete against each other, including American ski superstar Mikaela Shiffrin, who has just returned from injury. Shiffrin will face strong competitors such as Zrinka Ljutic from Croatia and Camille Rast from Switzerland, who have already done excellently this season. The Austrian skiers are led by head coach Roland Assinger, who emphasizes: “Let’s go all in again” and sees the medal chances as promising after a disappointing giant slalom.

Shiffrin, who recently won her 15th World Championships medal, is aiming for her 16th, which would be a new record. Despite her injury problems, the athlete assures that she feels fit and ready to give her best. "In order to win, I have to deliver my top performance. I don't know if I can do that yet," says the 29-year-old. In their absence, Ljutic and Rast took the opportunity to position themselves as potential contenders for the slalom throne. Ljutic triumphed over the slalom courses in Semmering and Courchevel, while Rast leads the Slalom World Cup as well Fis-ski.com reported.

Preparing for the big race

The Austrian Schladminger Katharina Liensberger is the clear favorite for the team and has already achieved four top-five placements this season. Her teammates, including Katharina Huber and Katharina Troupe, also performed well in the team combination. Huber feels comfortable on the track in Saalbach due to his previous experience and is looking at the upcoming challenge with great optimism. “It counts one, two, three,” summarizes Gallhuber, who is regaining confidence in her abilities despite a knee injury. The entire Austrian team will do everything in its power to show medal-worthy performances in the slalom.

The atmosphere at Saalbach is described as exciting, with passionate Austrian fans and great organization making the event an unforgettable experience. Camille Rast is enthusiastic about the atmosphere and the great support from the audience. “The Austrian fans are really excited and the organization has done a great job,” she adds, emphasizing that these positive experiences are also very important for the athletes.