Petra Vlhova Wins Slalom, Denies Mikaela Shiffrin's Record Bid

Petra Vlhova won a slalom by 43 hundredths of a second in Flachau, Austria, on Tuesday night, denying Mikaela Shiffrin's first bid to break the women's Alpine skiing World Cup wins record.

What happened?

Vlhova had the fastest first run by 17 hundredths over Shiffrin and the second-fastest second run as the last racer to go, knocking Shiffrin down to second place. Shiffrin was sick between runs and vomited after the second run, a team official said.

Why it matters for Petra Vlhova

Vlhova earned her first win since March, ending a 19-race winless stretch, her longest in nearly six years. "I don't feel very well, but that's not surprising at the end of a long stretch of races," Shiffrin said on Austrian broadcaster ORF.

What comes next?

Shiffrin plans to skip this weekend's speed races in Austria and return for Jan. 20-22 speed races in Cortina d'Ampezzo, the 2026 Olympic venue, followed by two giant slaloms and a slalom leading into February's world championships break. Vlhova's win was a significant one, as she beat Mikaela Shiffrin, who had tied Lindsey Vonn's record with her 82nd victory on Sunday. And Vlhova was thrilled with her performance, saying "Was long, long wait" and "If you beat Mikaela right now, it's something huge." But Shiffrin was gracious in defeat, smiling, applauding, and giving a thumbs-up moments after Vlhova finished. The rivals hugged, showing respect for each other's skills. So Vlhova's win was not only a personal triumph but also a testament to the competitive spirit of the two athletes. Vlhova's fastest first run time was 53.85 seconds, and her second run time was 53.91 seconds, for a total time of 1:47.76. Shiffrin's times were 54.02 and 54.19, for a total time of 1:48.19. The difference between the two athletes was just 0.43 seconds, highlighting the intense competition between them.