Alpine Ski World Cup Levi: Shiffrin unstoppable, Braathen unique

The first slalom races of the 2025/26 Alpine Ski World Cup season likely unfolded quite differently than many fans and experts expected. Not only did the new slalom season bring new faces to the top 10, but the established stars also impressed. The first women's slalom race on Saturday featured many strong skiers, but only one who was unstoppable: Mikaela Shiffrin. The slalom dominator had to take a step back last season due to injury and had to settle for fourth place in the World Cup standings. As if determined to prove to everyone, including herself, that she is the number one in women's slalom, she stormed down the slope in Levi, especially since her toughest competitor, Petra Vlhova, was still working on her return to racing after a long injury layoff. In the end, she distanced herself from the competition by a remarkable 1.66 seconds, overshadowing all the other skiers. Lara Colturi also shone with a second-place finish, and Emma Aicher, who impressed last season with strong results and a World Cup downhill victory, surprised everyone with a third-place finish in the slalom, even surpassing her compatriot Lena Dürr.

In the men's race, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen surprised everyone with two spirited runs that carried him to victory, securing Brazil's first ever Alpine Ski World Cup win. It was clear he was determined to prove himself. Just two years ago, he abruptly ended his promising young career and retired from competitive skiing due to a dispute with the Norwegian Ski Federation. But the son of a Norwegian father and a Brazilian mother rallied and decided last year to compete for Brazil and return to the sport. What a stroke of luck! Despite a year's hiatus from racing and several setbacks, he achieved an impressive sixth place in the 2024/25 Slalom World Cup standings. The start of the 2025/26 season is looking promising, not only for Lucas Braathen, but also for the Levi race, which surprisingly produced a number of new talents. The young and still relatively unknown Eduard Hallberg from Finland impressed with a third-place finish. Laurie Taylor from Great Britain finished fourth, leaving his well-known compatriot Dave Ryding in seventh. Frenchman Paco Rassat also surprised with a sixth-place finish, as did Michael Matt with ninth, ahead of his teammates Fabio Gstrein and Manuel Feller. The season is still young, but it seems to be full of surprises. Next weekend, the action continues in Gurgl, Austria.