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≡ FIS ALPINE WORLD CUP ≡
The situation was clear. In the final race of the FIS Alpine World Cup season, American star Mikaela Shiffrin only had to finish in the top 15 – the scoring places – to assure herself of enough points to win the overall FIS World Cup, for a record-tying sixth time.
She came in with 1,386 points to 1,301 for Germany’s Emma Aicher, in her break-out season, but Shiffrin, 31, noted Tuesday that the Giant Slalom course at Hafjell (NOR) did not look easy.
And starting seventh, Shiffrin’s first run at Hafjell in Norway was anything but smooth and she finished at 1:09.45, in fourth place. It got worse.
She dropped quickly in the standings and after the 16th starter – Aicher – Shiffrin stood 17th and out of the points and Aicher – timing 1:08.16 – was third!
If Aicher, 22, could ace the second run and win, and if Shiffrin didn’t move up, Aicher could steal the seasonal title.
But it didn’t happen. Shiffrin got better – a lot better – on the second run and her 1:09.36 ended up as the seventh-fastest in the field and assured her of being in the points. In fact, when Italian Asja Zenere and U.S. teammate A.J. Hurt were both slower, immediately following, Shiffrin, she had clinched at least 16 points and secured the seasonal Crystal Globe.
Aicher, no longer in contention, skied the final run in 1:10.67 and ended up 27th (last), and dropped from third to 12th in 2:18.63. Poetically, Shiffrin’s total time of 2:18:81 placed her 11th. The seasonal chart showed Shiffrin with 1,410 points to 1,323 for Aicher and 1,049 for Swiss Camille Rast.
Shiffrin was typically gracious on X right afterwards:
Emma, it was SUCH an honor to “battle” with you. Your skiing, energy, and personality are so inspiring. Your future is bright. I can’t wait to watch (and continue to compete against you… for a bit longer at least??).?????????? pic.twitter.com/Pwl1Hyuk2m
— Mikaela Shiffrin ?? (@MikaelaShiffrin) March 25, 2026
So what did Shiffrin achieve? She equaled Austria’s Annemarie Moser-Proell’s women’s record of six World Cup seasonal titles. Moser-Proell won from 1971-75 and in 1979. Shiffrin won in 2017-18-19, in 2022 and 2023 and now again in 2026.
It’s about the only record she didn’t have, as she already has the most World Cup wins by anyone at 110 and a total of 18 Crystal Globes for her six seasonal and 12 discipline titles.
In terms of the final race, Canada’s Valerie Greiner led after the first run and won in 2:16.79, easily ahead of Mina Holtman (NOR: 2:17.22) and Austria’s Julia Scheib (2:17.36). Nina O’Brien of the U.S. tied for eighth (2:18.46), Hurt was 18th (2:19.39) and Paula Moltzan was 25th at 2:20.55.
Scheib won the Giant Slalom Crystal Globe with 720 points, to 511 for Rast. Shiffrin finished fourth at 422.
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The men’s season finished with a Slalom and Norway’s Timon Haugan got his second win of the season in 2:03.75, moving up from third after the first run. Swiss Loic Meillard, the first-run leader, ended up second in 2:04.19 and Finland’s Eduard Hallberg took the bronze in 2:04.78.
With an eighth-place finish, Norway’s Atle Lie McGrath won the seasonal Slalom title, 584 to 520 over France’s 2022 Olympic champ, Clement Noel.
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