Camille Rast ends Mikaela Shiffrin’s slalom streak with back-to-back World Cup victories in Kranjska Gora
Marco Trovati/AP photo
Even though Olympic slalom silver medalist Katharina Liensberger recently sustained a season-ending MCL injury and defending champion Petra Vlhova is still working to come back from a serious knee injury, Mikaela Shiffrin won’t be without a serious slalom rival at the 2026 Olympics.
Camille Rast solidified her status as the American’s chief challenger in the tech events on Sunday in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia by ending Shiffrin’s streak of six-straight slalom wins. Rast reeled off a two-run time of 1 minute, 40.20 seconds to finish 14 hundredths ahead of Shiffrin as Swiss teammate Wendy Holdener was 1.83 seconds back in third.
“I gave everything I had this weekend,” Rast told the media after back-to-back wins on the Podkoren 3 slope. “Double on the same weekend is quite amazing. I’m so happy. It was a little bit a battle, but I had a lot of fun. And the slope, wow, was amazing, The preparation was top.”
“I pushed so hard and I’m very proud of my skiing, especially the second run,” added Shiffrin. “I had a very specific goal, technically, and I could feel that. It was really, really good turns; I felt like I was flying. That was the most I could do. And then, stand down here and wait for Camille and she had beautiful skiing — both runs, she was just outstanding.”
Shiffrin won the final slalom of the 2024-2025 season at Sun Valley before ripping off five more wins to start the Olympic campaign. She’s strung together six-straight wins four times in her career. The World Cup record for consecutive slalom victories in a single season is eight, achieved by Vreni Schneider twice and by Janica Kostelic in 2000-2001. Kostelic won 10 total when accounting for her two wins from 1999.
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Rast also had a first-run lead over Shiffrin a week ago in Semmering, but the Edwards skier made up more than a half second in deteriorating conditions to steal the win. On Sunday, the pair distanced themselves significantly from the rest of the field early. Rast posted the fastest final two sectors to win run No. 1, with Shiffrin a tenth back. Holdener and Paula Moltzan were the closest competitors, nearly a second off the leading standard.
Meanwhile, some of the circuit’s top slalom skiers did not finish their first runs. Defending slalom cup champion Zrinka Ljutic posted a DNF for the fourth time in six races while Lara Colturi fell on a course set by her father and coach, Alessandro Colturi. Still, the depth of the field was something even Shiffrin could not ignore.
“It’s been really impressive to see the women coming down, green light, like so many are doing such a good job,” Shiffrin told the media between runs. “They are finding speed and time somewhere in the course that I can’t imagine where. So, I love to see that, it’s like a really good show.”
On the second trip through the 64 gates, Rast was quickest on the first and third intervals, finishing only behind Shiffrin in the final segment. It was the 26-year-old’s second victory and sixth podium of the season. She now sits in second in the GS, slalom and overall standings. When asked about how it felt to not stand on the top step of the podium for the first time this year, Shiffrin answered, “I think it’s pretty amazing to see how the show has developed over the season.”
“Now we’re in the depth of the middle of the season and we have these incredible fights on the snow — in both GS and slalom — and that’s cool. That’s what our sport is,” she continued. “I think everybody likes to win, right, but I think it’s better to have these really challenging, testing moments and to rise to the challenge and to put out the best skiing possible. And we get to have this, actually kind of showdown on the second run, and I’m learning to love that.”
One day after reaching the podium in giant slalom, Moltzan tied for fourth, finishing just 0.14 behind Holdener.
“It’s always a bit bittersweet,” Moltzan said regarding the wooden medal position. “I’m happy to try and compete with the best here. Clearly, Camille and Mikaela are on an entirely different level. So it kind of just shows how much room for improvement there is.”
A.J. Hurt came through in 13th for Team USA in her first slalom race back from injury while former Edwards resident Nina O’Brien moved up nine spots in her second run to take 19th.
“It feels really good to finally have the feelings I’ve been looking for and feeling in training and bring it to a race. I feel like I’ve been struggling to do that,” O’Brien said. “Slalom has been hard for us all year. We keep seeing we have speed and everyone’s skiing well in training so I’m glad to actually see a little bit of proof of that. Also, (I’m) psyched to see A.J. crush her first slalom race back. That was cool.”
Elisabeth Bocock rounded out the American contingent in 30th. Vail-born skier Liv Moritz was in 23rd after the first split but did not finish her first run.
The World Cup circuit continues with a super-G and downhill in Zauchensee. The next slalom is a night race on Jan. 13 in Flachau, a location where Shiffrin has won five times in the past — but Rast was victorious last year.
