Shiffrin Reigns as Snow Queen in Zagreb

By Published On: January 3rd, 2018Comments Off on Shiffrin Reigns as Snow Queen in Zagreb

All eyes are on American superstar Mikaela Shiffrin this season, but the pressure does not seem to be shaking her. Under the lights in Zagreb, Croatia, the slalom star took her 38th World Cup win, and her third at the venue, regaining the Snow Queen title.

Shiffrin attempts to ignore statistics like winning streaks and rankings because they make her more nervous. These days, there is a lot to ignore. For example, she has won three slalom races in a row now–something Shiffrin has not done since she won six in a row between Feb. and Dec. of 2016.

In addition, at 22 years old, she already has the sixth most wins of all time amongst women. Retired Swedish skier Anja Paerson is in fifth place with 42 victories. At age 33, American Lindsey Vonn currently holds the record for all-time wins on the ladies’ side with 78 victories. No one can predict Shiffrin’s future, but if these trends continue, it’s not hard to imagine her overtaking her teammate.

Doing something like that means she’ll need to stay healthy and strong. Despite a exhausting schedule of travel, training and winning races, the American said her energy levels are up.

“Right now, I’m finding it easy to keep the energy going because every time I have a good race I want to do better, and I want to get better skiing out on the hill, and I’m just finding the motivation very easily right now, so it’s pretty cool,” she shared. “I don’t have to try so hard to find energy or find motivation.”

As they ladies’ head into more tech races in Kranjska Gora, Shiffrin is focused on turning her momentum into more superb skiing. Meanwhile, the field will be trying to catch her, just as they were in Zagreb.

Wendy Holdener of Switzerland was unable to get close to her in Wednesday’s race, taking second place by a 1.59 second margin.

“It was a fight, and I’m happy to be second,” she said.

Despite the Swiss skier’s 13 World Cup podium results, victory eludes her. Sweden’s Frida Hansdotter was even farther away from the win, 2.11 seconds off the pace.

“I still feel like I have more to give and I don’t really get the skiing I do in training, so I still have to do a little bit of work,” the Swede shared.

Shiffrin was not the only North American to have a notable performance in the first slalom of 2018. Canadians Erin Mielzynski and Roni Remme each had season-best results. Mielzynski, a veteran on tour, earned her first top-1o result since Dec. 2016 and qualified for the Canadian Olympic team. She also won the second run.

Image Credit : GEPA / Matic Klansek

“It feels really good to be back in the top ten,” said Mielzynski. “It’s a relief. I’ve made a lot of changes to my skiing and it’s been hard to find that race pace and really go for it. Today was a relief but what’s nice to know is that I still have parts of my to improve and I still did well. I find confidence in this result and in the process. Sometimes you question the process, but the coaches and I are staying on the same track and today shows that the whole team is doing the right thing. I made some mistakes on the top but the bottom I really made up some time and it’s something to build on.”

Remme, who currently leads the NorAm overall standings, skied to 11th place and a career-best result, just 0.01 seconds away from joining her teammate in the top 10. The young Canadian has scored World Cup points in both of the slalom races she started in.

“I’m pretty excited with the momentum I’m creating here,” said Remme. “I haven’t reached my full potential yet and with mistakes I’m still in the position to succeed. I’m excited to keep pushing for more. I’ll take the confidence from today that I can compete with these girls and keep improving every run and every race.”

Three spots behind Remme was the U.S. Ski Team’s Resi Steigler in 14th place, earning her best result of the season so far. Fellow countrywomen Nina O’Brien and Megan McJames did not finish the first run.

The women’s World Cup tour is now off to Slovenia for a slalom and GS at Kranjska Gora.


Top 10

1. Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) – Atomic / Atomic / Atomic
2. Wendy Holdener (SUI) –  Head / Head / Head
3. Frida Hansdotter (SWE) – Rossignol Look / Rossignol
4. Petra Vlhova (SVK) – Rossignol Look / Rossignol
5. Bernadette Schild (AUT) – Head / Head / Head
6. Katharina Gallhuber (AUT) – Atomic / Atomic / Atomic
7. Erin Mielzynski (CAN) – Rossignol Look / Rossignol
8. Katharina Liensberger (AUT) – Rossignol Look / Rossignol
9. Melanie Meillard (SUI) – Rossignol Look / Rossignol
10. Anna Swenn Larsson (SWE) –  Head / Head / Head


Official Results

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time Diff. FIS Points WC Points
 1  4  6535237 SHIFFRIN Mikaela 1995 USA  52.99  1:00.08  1:53.07  0.00  100
 2  1  516280 HOLDENER Wendy 1993 SUI  54.40  1:00.26  1:54.66  +1.59  10.12  80
 3  6  505679 HANSDOTTER Frida 1985 SWE  55.03  1:00.15  1:55.18  +2.11  13.44  60
 4  7  705423 VLHOVA Petra 1995 SVK  54.60  1:00.71  1:55.31  +2.24  14.26  50
 5  5  56032 SCHILD Bernadette 1990 AUT  54.96  1:00.49  1:55.45  +2.38  15.16  45
 6  19  56367 GALLHUBER Katharina 1997 AUT  55.72  1:00.26  1:55.98  +2.91  18.53  40
 7  22  106961 MIELZYNSKI Erin 1990 CAN  56.30  59.73  1:56.03  +2.96  18.85  36
 8  35  56388 LIENSBERGER Katharina 1997 AUT  55.53  1:00.74  1:56.27  +3.20  20.38  32
 9  3  516528 MEILLARD Melanie 1998 SUI  55.42  1:00.98  1:56.40  +3.33  21.20  29
 10  20  506146 SWENN LARSSON Anna 1991 SWE  56.58  59.83  1:56.41  +3.34  21.27  26
 11  38  107583 REMME Roni 1996 CAN  56.47  59.95  1:56.42  +3.35  21.33  24
 12  18  206536 WALLNER Marina 1994 GER  56.50  1:00.19  1:56.69  +3.62  23.05  22
 13  14  516284 GISIN Michelle 1993 SUI  55.96  1:00.74  1:56.70  +3.63  23.11  20
 14  17  537772 STIEGLER Resi 1985 USA  56.45  1:00.31  1:56.76  +3.69  23.50  18
 15  10  296509 CURTONI Irene 1985 ITA  56.48  1:00.46  1:56.94  +3.87  24.64  16
 16  15  515997 FEIERABEND Denise 1989 SUI  56.35  1:00.67  1:57.02  +3.95  25.15  15
 17  32  506348 STAALNACKE Ylva 1992 SWE  56.92  1:00.13  1:57.05  +3.98  25.34  14
 18  27  565320 FERK Marusa 1988 SLO  57.25  1:00.05  1:57.30  +4.23  26.94  13
 19  9  206279 GEIGER Christina 1990 GER  56.46  1:00.95  1:57.41  +4.34  27.64  12
 20  16  56315 TRUPPE Katharina 1996 AUT  57.60  59.89  1:57.49  +4.42  28.15  11
 21  42  56253 HUBER Katharina 1995 AUT  57.58  59.92  1:57.50  +4.43  28.21  10
 22  21  55977 THALMANN Carmen 1989 AUT  56.99  1:00.62  1:57.61  +4.54  28.91  9
 23  26  296259 MOELGG Manuela 1983 ITA  57.60  1:00.09  1:57.69  +4.62  29.42  8
 24  8  565401 BUCIK Ana 1993 SLO  56.15  1:01.75  1:57.90  +4.83  30.76  7
 25  11  425981 SKJOELD Maren 1993 NOR  56.94  1:01.02  1:57.96  +4.89  31.14  6
 26  37  155728 DUBOVSKA Martina 1992 CZE  57.48  1:00.69  1:58.17  +5.10  32.48  5
 27  30  56143 GRUENWALD Julia 1991 AUT  56.42  1:02.12  1:58.54  +5.47  34.83  4
 28  12  296354 COSTAZZA Chiara 1984 ITA  56.35  1:02.59  1:58.94  +5.87  37.38  3
 29  13  206355 DUERR Lena 1991 GER  56.84  1:02.58  1:59.42  +6.35  40.44  2
Did not finish 2nd run
 25  197616 ALPHAND Estelle 1995 SWE  55.22  0
Did not qualify for 2nd run
 67  715171 MUZAFERIJA Elvedina 1999 BIH  1:01.37  0
 64  385096 POPOVIC Leona 1997 CRO  1:00.02  0
 62  197540 FORNI Josephine 1994 FRA  1:00.19  0
 55  206497 FILSER Andrea 1993 GER  58.40  0
 54  516437 BISSIG Carole 1996 SUI  57.74  0
 53  506350 EKLUND Nathalie 1992 SWE  58.18  0
 52  665009 SHKANOVA Maria 1989 BLR  59.47  0
 48  155727 CAPOVA Gabriela 1993 CZE  59.89  0
 47  565403 LIVK Klara 1994 SLO  57.79  0
 46  516504 DANIOTH Aline 1998 SUI  58.13  0
 45  506664 FJAELLSTROEM Magdalena 1995 SWE  57.69  0
 44  25096 GUTIERREZ Mireia 1988 AND  59.02  0
 41  56333 MAIR Chiara 1996 AUT  58.03  0
 40  107427 ST-GERMAIN Laurence 1994 CAN  1:04.02  0
 39  485637 ALOPINA Ksenia 1992 RUS  59.07  0
 36  307493 ANDO Asa 1996 JPN  58.05  0
 34  485802 TKACHENKO Ekaterina 1995 RUS  58.63  0
 33  306249 HASEGAWA Emi 1986 JPN  58.21  0
 31  315187 IGNJATOVIC Nevena 1990 SRB  58.26  0
 28  206487 WIESLER Maren 1993 GER  57.67  0
Did not finish 1st run
 66  385106 STIMAC Ida 2000 CRO  0
 65  538284 MCJAMES Megan 1987 USA  0
 63  6535773 O BRIEN Nina 1997 USA  0
 61  426187 LYSDAHL Kristin 1996 NOR  0
 60  565471 HROVAT Meta 1998 SLO  0
 59  405138 JELINKOVA Adriana 1995 NED  0
 58  298723 MIDALI Roberta 1994 ITA  0
 57  305944 KIYOSAWA Emiko 1983 JPN  0
 56  425921 HAUGEN Kristine Gjelsten 1992 NOR  0
 51  426100 HOLTMANN Mina Fuerst 1995 NOR  0
 50  56392 GRITSCH Franziska 1997 AUT  0
 49  297851 AZZOLA Michela 1991 ITA  0
 43  225525 TILLEY Alex 1993 GBR  0
 29  196806 NOENS Nastasia 1988 FRA  0
 24  197319 BAUD MUGNIER Adeline 1992 FRA  0
 23  56217 BRUNNER Stephanie 1994 AUT  0
 2  425771 HAVER-LOESETH Nina 1989 NOR  0

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About the Author: Gabbi Hall

A California native, Gabbi moved to Vermont to ski on the NCAA circuit for St. Michael’s College, where she served as team captain and studied journalism. Before joining Ski Racing, she worked as a broadcast TV producer and social media manager in higher education. She can be reached via email at gabbi@skiracing.com