Mikaela Shiffrin’s Flachau slalom win reinforces her status as the Olympic favorite — bettors should expect shorter odds on her for Olympic slalom medals while seeking value on teammate Paula Moltzan or outsiders in giant slalom as potential underdog podiums given recent form and GS recovery.
Mikaela Shiffrin Dominates Flachau Slalom, Reinforces Olympic Favorite Status
Race Recap: Precision and Power Under Night Lights
Mikaela Shiffrin, favorite to win the gold medal in Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, extended her near-perfect slalom run with a victory in the night race at Flachau, Austria, clocking 1:50.52 across two runs to finish 0.41 seconds ahead of American teammate Paula Moltzan. Austria’s Katharina Truppe placed third, 0.65 seconds back. Shiffrin set the pace in the first run with a 0.19-second lead, then delivered a sharp second run to reclaim the top spot after Moltzan briefly surged into the lead.
Milestones and Momentum
The result marks Shiffrin’s 107th World Cup win overall and her 70th in slalom. She has now won seven of the last eight World Cup slaloms, underscoring her dominance in the discipline as the Winter Olympics approach. Moltzan earned her eighth career World Cup podium and her first slalom podium this season, adding depth to the U.S. medal prospects.
U.S. Women’s Alpine Team Ready Across Disciplines
Speed and Technical Events Both Boast Contenders
American contenders are showing form across events. In downhill action recently, Lindsey Vonn and Jacqueline Wiles shared a podium in Zauchensee, with Vonn taking victory. Breezy Johnson, the reigning downhill world champion, also figures among the threats in speed events. Shiffrin remains a contender in giant slalom too, despite a November 2024 injury that sidelined her for two months; she has recorded five top-six GS finishes this season.
What’s Ahead Before the Olympics
Final World Cup Tune-Ups
Two giant slalom and one slalom World Cup races remain before the Olympic break, and two speed-race weekends begin this weekend in Tarvisio, Italy. The Olympic women's alpine program opens on Feb. 8 with the downhill in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Betting Implications: How Punters Should Read the Form
Shiffrin’s sustained dominance shortens her odds in Olympic slalom markets; she is the clear favorite for a medal. Punters seeking value should consider Paula Moltzan as a live underdog in slalom and monitor Shiffrin’s GS starts for long-shot opportunities, since her GS podium potential may offer better returns while she continues to rebuild race rhythm. In speed events, expect competitive lines around veterans like Lindsey Vonn and established downhill specialists such as Breezy Johnson.
Winter Olympics stadium still looks like building site with race on to get arena finished
Shiffrin won for the sixth time in seven slalom races this World Cup season as the American team looks strong ahead of the Winter Olympics.
Theathleticuk
