Shiffrin and Robinson prepare to confront the glacier in Sölden on Wednesday

Mikaela Shiffrin (USA/Atomic) has described her voyage to the start gate for the season-opening Giant Slalom race in Sölden on Saturday as “incredible.” However, she also acknowledged that her skiing is still a work in progress.

Mikaela Shiffrin (USA/Atomic) on her way to finishing fifth in the 2024 Giant Slalom opener in Sölden, Austria.

Shiffrin, who holds the record for the most World Cup victories in Alpine skiing history with 101, experienced a difficult 2024/25 season following a penetrating wound sustained during a Giant Slalom race in Killington last November.

subsequently in the season, she returned to win two World Cup Slalom races, including her historic 100th victory. However, she encountered difficulty in Giant Slalom and subsequently disclosed that she was grappling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of the injury.

In a conference call on Wednesday, Shiffrin stated, “It has been an extraordinary journey to work from the end of last season, when I experienced a complete disconnect between my mind and body, to where I am today.”

“I believe that I am more in control of the advancements I am making, and I am able to achieve my desired level of skiing. It is simply a matter of putting in the effort in a sport that is challenging.”

The 2018 Olympic champion in Giant Slalom has intensified her training regimen in anticipation of Sölden, following her tentative participation in three Giant Slalom races at the conclusion of the previous season, with a best finish of 25th.

The two-time Sölden winner stated, “I have been concentrating on Giant Slalom, attempting to maintain my progress by gaining exposure to the speed and tactics. It has been a challenging endeavor.”

“The ability to fully engage with the pace of a GS course is still a work in progress.”

Shiffrin has decided to forgo competing in Downhill and is uncertain about her commitment to Super G, as she is concentrating on Giant Slalom and Slalom this season. Additionally, she is anticipating the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

She acknowledged, “I would relish the opportunity to gauge my position in Super G during a World Cup race.” “In essence, St. Moritz (on 14 December) will provide me with the opportunity to determine my current status and determine whether it is feasible to qualify for the Olympics.”

“And if it is not, I will continue with GS and Slalom and narrow my focus.”

I have a deep affection for Super G, and I am hesitant to relinquish it entirely. – Mikaela Shiffrin

Although the opening ceremony of Milano Cortina 2026 is less than 100 days away, the two-time Olympic gold medalist is not yet preoccupied with the Games as the season commences.

“I am not aware of many ski racers who prioritize the Olympic Games over World Cup performance. The general consensus is that the more consistently one performs throughout the World Cup season, the more momentum, confidence, and competence they will have to bring to the Games,” she stated.

Shiffrin will once again attempt to equal Annemarie Moser-Pröll’s (AUT) women’s record of six large globes, but unlike in previous seasons, it appears to be an elusive objective for the five-time winner this year. She will be in a World Cup mindset.

“In summary, the overall is a beautiful thing to dream about, and those dreams have not ceased for me,” the 30-year-old stated.

However, I am currently experiencing a sense of realism and am approaching the season in a methodical manner. I anticipate that there will be enhancements to be made to each race this season.

St. Moritz in December is the make-or-break race for Shiffrin’s Super G campaign this season. © Agence Zoom

Robinson is engulfed in flames as she once again attempts to strike a crystal globe.

Alice Robinson (NZL/Salomon) has gained valuable insights from her failure to secure her first crystal globe last season and is prepared to resume her pursuit.

The 23-year-old was the leader of the Giant Slalom standings prior to the 2024/25 World Cup finals in Sun Valley. However, she was unable to complete the first run, which enabled Federica Brignone (ITA/Rossignol) to secure the discipline title.

In a conference call on Wednesday, Robinson stated, “The concept of a globe was novel to me.”

“I am feeling as though the experience and the slight disappointment I experienced at the end of last year after an exceptional season have served as a catalyst for me to work harder this offseason in order to be more mentally prepared and to be better equipped to handle the higher intensity, higher pressure moments.”

Alice Robinson (NZL/Salomon) attacks the steep pitch en route to finishing second in Sölden in 2024. © Agence Zoom

Robinson’s exceptional performance resulted in seven podiums in nine World Cup Giant Slalom races, her first victory in four years, and a silver medal at the world championships, despite the fact that the season did not conclude as she had anticipated.

Robinson, who entered the World Cup tour with three victories as a teenager, stated, “Last year was such a significant step forward for me, or last year and even the year before, with being a lot more consistent.” However, he was unable to consistently generate podium results.

“I was a fast skier as a youngster, and I was all-or-nothing. I believe that this was a significant advancement in the past few years, as I have learned to control the GS to be fast across a variety of slopes, conditions, and races every weekend.”

“That was a significant accomplishment for me.”

Robinson will commence her 2025/26 campaign by returning to the location of her inaugural World Cup victory as a 17-year-old in 2019. However, she does not consider herself to have conquered the Rettenbach glacier.

“I believe it is likely the most difficult women’s slope, or one of the most difficult,” she stated. “Clearly, the massive sustained pitch is a very aggressive start to the season, as it is thrown in at the beginning, as if this is the first race and the slope is extremely difficult.”

“The elevation is always a bit of a shock to the system. After training for the entire summer in New Zealand, which is at a relatively low elevation, the transition to Sölden, where the summit is at an elevation of approximately 3000 meters, is a bit of an adjustment.”

I am certain that it will always be a perilous slope. However, I must admit that it appears somewhat less daunting each year than it did the previous year.
– Alice Robinson on Sölden

After Sölden, Robinson will recommence her efforts to elevate her speed skiing to the next level. She made significant progress in the discipline last season, achieving a fourth-place finish in Kvitfjell, which matched her career-best.

In the future, I aspire to become a more serious contender in Super G, which is a significant step for me. I continue to prioritize GS; however, I am eager to contribute more effort and become a more serious contender, particularly in Super G.

Although Super G enhancements are among Robinson’s objectives for this season, she is ultimately focused on the hardware, specifically medals and globes.

“I made it a priority to be in the running for the (Giant Slalom) globe last year, and I intend to maintain that objective this year,” she stated.

“And then, of course, it (a goal) was also awarded a medal at the world championships last year.” Additionally, this year’s Olympics are a given; therefore, I anticipate that the situation will be somewhat comparable.

Bassino sustains a limb injury during training.

Marta Bassino (ITA/Head), a former Giant Slalom crystal globe winner, will not be present at the start gate on Saturday due to an injury she sustained during training in Italy on Wednesday. Robinson and Shiffrin are currently preparing to begin the new season.

Bassino, the winner of the 2020/21 Giant Slalom title, sustained a lateral fracture of the tibial plateau in her left leg as a result of a fall on the course in Val Senales.

In a press release, the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI) announced that Marta is presently undergoing an additional CT scan to more accurately evaluate the severity of the injury.