Michelle Gisin Takes First World Cup Win in Semmering Slalom

Michelle Gisin claimed her first World Cup victory in the Semmering slalom. Until today, she had achieved nine World Cup podium finishes without a single win. Eight years ago, Michelle Gisin made her World Cup slalom debut at this same venue.

“It’s crazy, it’s amazing. My first win exactly eight years after my first World Cup race here in Semmering. I’m just so happy. We’ve been working on this for so long,” Gisin said.

The last Swiss woman to win a World Cup slalom was Marlies Öster in Berchtesgaden on 20 January 2002. With today’s victory, Gisin ended Switzerland’s run of 162 women’s World Cup slalom events without a win, the longest drought in any discipline.

Katharina Liensberger finished second, only 0.11 seconds behind Gisin. She delivered a solid second run, moving up one position to take the second step of the podium.

Prior to today’s second place, Liensberger had finished in the top seven in each of the last nine women’s World Cup slalom races, including third place in both events in Levi this season.

“It’s not a first place, but it feels like one,” Liensberger said.

First-run leader Mikaela Shiffrin managed to remain on the podium but finished third, 0.57 seconds behind the winner.

In her last 46 World Cup slalom appearances, Shiffrin had finished on the podium 43 times, including 34 victories. She has now achieved 99 World Cup podiums, 56 of them in slalom.

Overall World Cup leader and slalom red bib holder Petra Vlhova (SVK) finished just outside the podium places in fourth position.