Shiffrin Makes It Six in a Row at Semmering — Then Slams ‘Unsafe’ World Cup Course Mikaela Shiffrin extended her

Mikaela Shiffrin extended her dominance in women’s slalom with a sixth straight World Cup victory on Tuesday night in Semmering, Austria — but the American superstar made it clear she was far from happy with the conditions that framed her latest triumph.
Shiffrin produced a trademark comeback under the floodlights, charging from fourth after the opening run to clock the fastest second run of the race. Her total time was enough to edge reigning world champion Camille Rast of Switzerland by just 0.09 seconds in a thrilling finish. Albania’s rising star Lara Colturi, the 19-year-old Italian-born skier, continued her impressive season by finishing third, 0.57 seconds behind the winner.
Despite the result, the focus quickly shifted to safety concerns on the Panorama course. Mild temperatures during the afternoon forced race organizers to inject water and salt into the snow in an attempt to preserve the surface. Even so, the piste deteriorated rapidly, breaking up in several key sections during the first run, which started at 2:15pm local time.
Shiffrin did not hold back in her assessment afterward.
“I have to say this: It was not safe to ski for the girls,” she told Austrian television. “For me, starting bib four, it’s not a problem. But for the women starting 13, 15, 18, even in the 60s — this is not OK.”
Her concerns were backed up by the numbers. Only 40 of the 77 starters managed to complete the opening run, and skiers trailing by nearly six seconds still qualified for the second run — a rare indicator of just how demanding the conditions were.
By the time the night session began more than three hours later, dropping temperatures helped stabilize the surface, allowing Shiffrin to attack aggressively and seal the win.
“It was a very challenging and distracting day,” she said. “I’m grateful there were no major injuries, but the way the surface was breaking apart was frustrating. The second run was better, for sure, but this shouldn’t happen.”
While Shiffrin heads into the new year with unstoppable momentum, her sharp criticism has reignited debate over race scheduling and athlete safety — a conversation likely to follow the women’s World Cup well beyond Semmering.