Tina Maze on Mikaela Shiffrin’s Reduced Slalom Schedule

Alpine Skiing Season Opens in Sölden With Shiffrin Shifting Focus

Mikaela Shiffrin enters the 2026/2027 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup opening weekend in Sölden, Austria, defending her overall crystal globe while trimming her slalom schedule. According to News, the American star secured her previous overall title with 1,410 total points, heavily anchored by 980 points earned from slalom victories where she won nine out of ten races. By stepping back from that discipline to concentrate on giant slalom and super-G, Shiffrin leaves the slalom circuit wide open.

The contrast between Shiffrin’s reduced slalom commitment and her rivals’ full-schedule intentions sets up a battle for the overall crystal globe. While Shiffrin describes her upcoming campaign as a “season of discovery” aimed at gaining comfort in speed events, competitors like Germany’s Emma Aicher plan to contest all four disciplines. Former Slovenian champion Tina Maze noted on Eurosport’s preview coverage, as reported by News, that Shiffrin has already achieved every possible milestone in slalom—including nine small globes—making a pivot to speed a logical tactical pursuit.

Rivals Target the Open Slalom and Overall Titles

With Shiffrin scaling back her entries in the technical discipline she once dominated, competitors view the season’s opening races as an opportunity. Emma Aicher finished 87 points behind Shiffrin in the previous season’s overall standings and intends to compete across all disciplines again. Tina Maze identified Aicher as Shiffrin’s most dangerous challenger, praising the German skier’s versatility and natural feel for the snow. Aicher herself downplayed the favorite tag, telling reporters she prefers to focus entirely on her own runs rather than external point projections, though she cannot conceal the fact that her goal is the overall World Cup title.

Meanwhile, Slovakia’s Petra Vlhová returns to the World Cup circuit in Sölden following a forced break after a serious knee injury in Jasná on January 10, 2024. Vlhová plans to contest a full program in both slalom and giant slalom. When Vlhová spoke about Shiffrin’s decision to limit the number of starts in slalom, she told Sportnet that she had heard the news, but was not going to comment on it, which would make the first slaloms of the season without the American’s dominance an open issue. Years ago, Vlhová and Shiffrin battled for slalom victories and the overall title, with Vlhová taking the large globe in the 2020/2021 season.

Questions about the 2026/2027 Alpine Ski World Cup

When and where does the 2026/2027 Alpine Ski World Cup start?

The new World Cup season opens on Saturday, October 24, 2026, with the women’s giant slalom in Sölden, Austria, followed by the men’s giant slalom on Sunday, October 25.

How many slalom races did Mikaela Shiffrin win in the previous season?

Shiffrin won nine out of ten slalom races during the previous World Cup campaign, capturing her ninth small crystal globe in the discipline along the way.

What major injuries affect the World Cup field at the start of the season?

Petra Vlhová returns in Sölden after a forced break following her January 2024 knee injury in Jasná, while Shiffrin’s partner Aleksander Aamodt Kilde sits out after tearing his Achilles tendon during training in Chile.