Shiffrin responds to fairness debate: “it wasn’t about gaining an advantage”

Mikaela Shiffrin has moved to defend herself after controversy overshadowed her slalom victory at Semmering, insisting that the situation surrounding course inspection before the second run was never about gaining an unfair edge.

Mikaela Shiffrin was given more inspection time than the other racers before her winning run at Semmering.
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Shiffrin’s win in the final women’s World Cup race of 2025 sparked debate after it emerged that she, along with Dzenifera Germane, was granted additional time to inspect the altered course ahead of the second run. The decision prompted Swiss-Ski to briefly consider lodging a protest, arguing that the extended inspection window created an imbalance among competitors.

The race itself was already unusual. On Sunday in Semmering, the women’s slalom descended into chaos as conditions deteriorated rapidly. By the end of the first run, 39 of the 79 starters had failed to finish, an attrition rate approaching 50 percent. In response, race organisers made late changes to the course layout ahead of the second run, despite the fact that most athletes had already completed their inspection.

Only two skiers, Germane and Shiffrin, were able to inspect the revised setup with an extra 15 minutes. That detail quickly became the focal point of post-race discussion. Swiss women’s head coach Beat Tschuor openly questioned the fairness of the process, saying the additional inspection time amounted to an advantage. The issue was magnified by the outcome: Shiffrin, who sat fourth after the opening run, stormed through the second to win by just nine hundredths of a second over Switzerland’s Camille Rast.

Although Swiss-Ski ultimately decided against filing a formal protest, Tschuor made it clear that the federation wanted to send a message. He explained that officials had clarified why the decision was taken, but stressed that fairness must be non-negotiable. For him, it was less about the result and more about ensuring that such situations are handled correctly in future.

More than a day after the race, Shiffrin addressed the controversy in a lengthy Instagram post, offering her perspective and strongly rejecting the notion that she had sought or benefited from preferential treatment. The American star argued that the broader issue was safety, not advantage.

She began by acknowledging that the race was not a positive showcase for alpine skiing. According to Shiffrin, a series of decisions combined with how the slope had been prepared throughout the week resulted in an extremely unstable course. She described conditions as difficult to manage from the outset and said that for athletes starting later in the first run, the slope became close to dangerous.

Shiffrin revealed that she spoke with several fellow competitors after the race who were deeply unsettled by what they encountered on the hill. Some, she said, were visibly frustrated, shaken, and even frightened when they arrived at the start gate and saw the state of the course ahead of them. The sheer number of skiers who failed to finish underlined the severity of the situation. Shiffrin noted that she had been told it was the highest DNF rate in a women’s World Cup race since 1999.

Crucially, she explained that she herself had raised concerns about a specific section of the course before the second run — the very section that was later modified by organisers. From her point of view, the decision to adjust the layout was essential for safety. However, she argued that the timing of that decision was deeply flawed.

Shiffrin stressed that the real problem was not the change itself, but when it happened. In her view, the issue should have been identified and resolved before inspection officially began. Instead, the late intervention caused confusion, disrupted preparation routines, delayed inspections, and inevitably raised questions about fairness.

“It wasn’t about gaining an advantage,” Shiffrin emphasised. She insisted that all athletes should have been given the chance to inspect the same, final version of the course under equal conditions. The fact that this did not happen, she argued, reflected a reactive approach rather than proactive planning by those in charge.

The 30-year-old also used her statement to call for better collaboration between athletes, coaches, and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). She believes that improved communication and earlier decision-making could prevent similar controversies in the future and help ensure that races remain both safe and fair.

Shiffrin was blunt in her assessment of how such events are perceived by athletes and fans alike. A race with more than 40 retirements across two runs, she said, is not thrilling or dramatic in a positive sense. Instead, it is brutal and uncomfortable to watch, detracting from the beauty and excitement that alpine skiing is meant to showcase.

Despite the criticism, Shiffrin made it clear that she will continue to speak up when she feels conditions put athletes at risk. As one of the most experienced and successful skiers in the sport’s history, she sees it as part of her responsibility to raise concerns, even when doing so places her at the centre of controversy.

Her hope, she concluded, is that the discussions sparked by the Semmering race will lead to constructive change. By learning from what went wrong and addressing issues earlier, Shiffrin believes the sport can move toward safer, fairer competitions that reflect the highest standards of elite skiing.