Semmering: ski sensation! Shiffrin triumphs in the home race!

Mikaela Shiffrin thrilled the audience at the World Cup race in Semmering! The US ski queen triumphed in the giant slalom and secured her 78th World Cup victory with a narrow lead of 0.13 seconds over her Slovakian competitor Petra Vlhova. The Italian Marta Bassino came third. Shiffrin, who has just returned from an injury, impressed in the first round in front of 3,500 spectators and distanced Vlhova by an impressive 0.72 seconds. Her performance made the top-class domestic competition, including Katharina Liensberger, who only finished in 13th place, look old. In general, the Austrian women could not keep up with the world's best, as can be seen from the article in Die Presse.

Race conditions and expectations

The event was particularly well prepared this year. Organizer Franz Steiner confirmed that the snow conditions are ideal: "Winter arrived here almost two weeks ago. We can make good snow and also have 20 centimeters of natural snow." The competitions, which will take place on December 28th and 29th, have been optimized by adapting the route. This gives the local athletes the chance to win after no Austrian women's victory has been celebrated at Semmering since 2012. Hopes are particularly high on Katharina Liensberger and Julia Scheib, while Petra Vlhova's comeback after her serious injury is eagerly awaited.

With spectators of 7,000 to 8,000 per day, the event is expected to be a highlight of the sporting calendar. Spectators can watch the races both in the finish area and in the stands and experience the atmosphere up close. Shiffrin herself plans to continue her impressive winning streak: "This is one of the most difficult disciplines for me. But when it goes, you feel very good. Today I did well," remarked the Truth Champions on their way to further consolidating their status. The upcoming races at Semmering are eagerly awaited to see whether she can further expand her records in alpine skiing.