The icy Levi Black course provided a demanding test, with several leading contenders struggling to find their rhythm. Aicher laid the foundations for victory in the first run, while Truppe lost valuable time following an early mistake. The Austrian then mounted an impressive recovery in the second run to secure a place on the podium.
Slalom season begins without Mikaela Shiffrin
Following the giant slalom races in Sölden at the end of October, Levi hosted the first slalom of the World Cup winter. The biggest name was missing, however, with Mikaela Shiffrin opting not to compete. The American, who won nine of last season’s ten World Cup slaloms, decided to focus more closely on giant slalom and super-G.
Her absence opened up the race for several potential winners. Camille Rast, Lara Colturi and Wendy Holdener were among the leading contenders, alongside Emma Aicher, who had already finished third at the season opener in Sölden.
Austria’s main hope was Katharina Truppe, who finished fourth in last season’s slalom standings. Katharina Huber and Franziska Gritsch were also part of the seven-strong Austrian squad, while Katharina Liensberger and Katharina Gallhuber remained sidelined through injury.
Aicher opened the race wearing bib number one, followed immediately by Colturi. Truppe started third, with Huber setting off tenth.
Icy conditions test the field
After an unusually warm autumn with little snowfall, organisers had prepared the Levi Black course using snow stored from the previous winter. With temperatures well below freezing, the surface was hard and icy in places.
A compression in the upper, flatter section caused particular difficulties. Mistakes there cost valuable speed, which was difficult to recover on the steep section that followed. Despite the challenging conditions, the course remained competitive even for athletes starting further down the order.
Aicher sets the benchmark from bib number one
Aicher made full use of her starting position. The 23-year-old found her rhythm immediately, keeping her skis on a direct line. Despite a slight wobble on the steep section, she remained composed and carried plenty of speed into the flat finish.
Her time of 55.74 seconds set a formidable benchmark. Colturi, starting second, came closest but was already 0.36 seconds behind. Aicher was particularly quick through the final sector.
Truppe also began promisingly. The Austrian was initially marginally ahead of Aicher in the upper section but lost her line over a compression. Forced into a significant correction, she surrendered valuable speed on the following flat section. Further hesitations on the steep slope left her 1.05 seconds behind in fifth place.
Huber slotted into sixth, just eight hundredths further back. Zrinka Ljutic provided a surprise from bib number 24, moving into third with a deficit of 0.88 seconds. Camille Rast finished the opening run fourth, while Sölden winner Paula Moltzan crashed out after making a mistake at the troublesome compression.
Petra Vlhová’s comeback also attracted considerable attention. The six-time Levi winner returned to World Cup slalom racing after almost three years out through injury and placed 13th, 1.44 seconds off the lead.
Aicher held a commanding advantage heading into the final run. Only Colturi and Ljutic were within a second, but the battle for the remaining podium places was finely balanced: just 0.25 seconds separated third-placed Ljutic from Huber in sixth.
Truppe launches her charge in the second run
Under the floodlights, the second run developed into a gripping battle for the podium. The course once again demanded precise skiing, particularly on the approach to the steep section. Several racers lost crucial time after sliding sideways or taking too direct a line.
Lena Dürr was first out in the second run, having qualified in 30th place, and took advantage of her early start to climb to 18th overall. Australia’s Madison Hoffman also impressed. Having qualified for the final run from bib number 57, she produced another technically assured performance.
As the leading contenders began to appear, Sara Hector moved into first place. The Swede took risks on the steep slope and carried excellent speed towards the finish. Anna Swenn-Larsson then raised the standard with another strong run to establish a new fastest time.
Huber was unable to capitalise fully on her promising position. The Austrian negotiated the upper section with few mistakes but lost time approaching the steep slope and finished behind Swenn-Larsson.
Truppe, however, produced a much stronger performance. She attacked the upper section and successfully negotiated the compression that had caused her so many problems in the opening run. On the steep slope, she maintained a direct line without sacrificing speed through major corrections.
With the fastest second run so far, Truppe took the lead by 0.58 seconds. The four athletes who had finished ahead of her in the opening run now had to beat that combined time.
Truppe’s blistering run puts the pressure on her rivals
Camille Rast could not respond. The Swiss skier lost time on the upper flat section and struggled with her outside ski entering the steep slope. Although she negotiated the remainder without a major mistake, she slipped to eighth in the provisional standings.
Ljutic was also unable to dislodge Truppe. The Croatian attacked the upper section and skied cleanly at first, but several sideways slides on the steep slope cost her precious time. She finished behind the Austrian and missed out on a podium place.
Colturi kept the contest alive. The Italian-born skier representing Albania chose a tight line and maintained excellent speed through the upper section. Although she lost time to Truppe on the steep slope, she carried enough momentum to cross the line just seven hundredths ahead.
That left Aicher as the final skier. The German had taken a 0.36-second advantage over Colturi into the second run and now faced the task of defending it against her rival’s strong performance. She held her nerve and completed her victory by 0.43 seconds.
First slalom triumph for Aicher as Truppe takes third
Aicher celebrated the sixth World Cup victory of her career and her first in slalom. Colturi narrowly missed out once again and continues to wait for her maiden World Cup win.
Truppe completed the podium, finishing 0.50 seconds behind the winner. After her mistake-filled opening run, third place represented a particularly satisfying result. Her considerable improvement in the final run earned Austria its first slalom podium of the season.
Huber had also been in contention after finishing the opening run sixth, but was unable to improve sufficiently and eventually placed ninth. Valentina Rings-Wanner finished 23rd, while Franziska Gritsch took 25th.
The women’s World Cup slalom circuit moves to Gurgl next weekend. Shiffrin will also be absent there, while Aicher arrives as the season’s opening slalom winner with renewed confidence.
Results: Women’s slalom in Levi
1 Emma Aicher (GER) – 1:52.62
2 Lara Colturi (ALB) – +0.43
3 Katharina Truppe (AUT) – +0.50
4 Zrinka Ljutic (CRO) – +0.83
5 Anna Swenn-Larsson (SWE) – +1.08
6 Marion Chevrier (FRA) – +1.23
7 Marie Lamure (FRA) – +1.49
8 Madison Hoffman (AUS) – +1.73
9 Katharina Huber (AUT) – +1.89
10 Wendy Holdener (SUI) – +1.92
11 Camille Rast (SUI) – +2.11
12 Dzenifera Germane (LAT) – +2.15
13 Sara Hector (SWE) – +2.22
14 Aline Höpli (SUI) – +2.29
15 AJ Hurt (USA) – +2.40
16 Petra Vlhová (SVK) – +2.43
17 Neja Dvornik (SLO) – +2.60
18 Lena Dürr (GER) – +2.71
19 Beatrice Sola (ITA) – +2.86
20 Lara Della Mea (ITA) – +2.89
21 Charlotte Lingg (LIE) – +2.90
22 Laurence St-Germain (CAN) – +3.43
23 Valentina Rings-Wanner (AUT) – +3.45
24 Martina Peterlini (ITA) – +3.51
25 Franziska Gritsch (AUT) – +3.60
26 Caitlin McFarlane (FRA) – +3.81
27 Hanna Aronsson Elfman (SWE) – +3.90
DNF Nina O’Brien (USA)
DNF Martina Dubovská (CZE)
DNF Cornelia Öhlund (SWE)
