Mikaela Shiffrin captures record-extending 102nd World Cup win in Finland - 'The final step was mentality'
Published 15/11/2025 at 16:37 GMT
Mikaela Shiffrin extended her record of FIS Alpine Ski World Cup wins to 102 after two dominant runs in Levi, Finland, on Saturday. The American star and skiing's greatest of all time started the season excellently with a win in the first slalom of the season, having finished fourth in the season-opening giant slalom event three weeks ago. Lara Colturi finished second ahead of Emma Aicher.
Shiffrin 'super happy' with 'mentality' after claiming 102nd career World Cup win in Levi
Video credit: TNT Sports
Mikaela Shiffrin began the FIS World Cup slalom in fine fashion, finishing top of the podium in Finland for her record-extending 102nd career win.
A long tradition of the Levi race is that the winner is gifted a reindeer. Nine of her World Cup wins have come in the season-opening slalom in Lapland, and she now has enough for her own sleigh.
"It's starting to feel more like home," Shiffrin said of Levi.
"I've really enjoyed being here, and I'm so happy to kick off the slalom season."
The American star built a commanding lead after her first run in Levi, and then posted the top time in her second run to clinch victory by 1.66 seconds ahead of second-placed Lara Colturi on Saturday.
Italian-born Colturi, competing for Albania on her 19th birthday, pushed Shiffrin with two solid runs. She finished almost a second clear of Germany's Emma Aicher, who took third.
Shiffrin has suffered serious setbacks due to injuries in the last few years. In particular, a puncture wound endured at Killington in the giant slalom last year inflicted "severe muscle trauma."
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The mental impact of the crash left her struggling, but her slalom form has returned, and sharpening her mentality alongside her physical state has been the essence of her preparation.
"I've trusted the training I've done with my team, and we did really good work over the summer, so the final step was mentality and pushing. It was really nice to race today," Shiffrin said.
Fellow American Paula Moltzan finished outside the podium places after making a mistake in the first run and was in 19th before her second run improved her standings to fourth.
Shiffrin finished fourth in the season-opening giant slalom in Austria three weeks ago - her best result in the event since the injury.
She is now top of the standings. And Moltzan sits second, having finished as runner-up in Austria.
"This season for me, it's been really important to start the season with a really good mentality, so I can practice that every race," continued Shiffrin.
"Because last year and the year before, I was not racing so much with the injury. I'm just super happy to have races now that feel really good."
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Shiffrin delivers 'lightning quick' second run to claim 102nd World Cup win in Levi
Video credit: TNT Sports
With her schedule reduced to the slalom and giant slalom, having made the decision not to race in downhill this season - perhaps slightly dipping into super-G - it is an uplifting start to the season for Shiffrin.
She has shaped her schedule with the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in February in mind. She intends to focus on her best disciplines in Italy.
Shiffrin won Olympic gold in slalom in 2014 and in GS four years later in PyeongChang.
The 2026 Winter Games will take place from February 6-22, with the event shown live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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