Mikaela Shiffrin Falls Short of Medal by 0.05 Seconds in Slalom

Saalbach, Austria — American skier Mikaela Shiffrin narrowly missed a historic 16th medal at the Alpine skiing world championships on Saturday, finishing fifth in the women’s slalom event. Shiffrin clocked a time of 1:59.37, trailing the podium by a mere 0.05 seconds, as Swiss skier Camille Rast captured gold with a time of 1:58.00.

Rast’s victory marked her first world title, finishing 0.46 seconds ahead of compatriot Wendy Holdener, who took silver. Austria’s Katharina Liensberger secured bronze, finishing 1.32 seconds off the pace.

Shiffrin, competing in only her third race since returning from a two-month injury hiatus, was in third place following the first run but slipped to 12th during the second run, ultimately finishing 1.37 seconds off gold. Another American, Paula Moltzan, finished just ahead of Shiffrin in fourth, falling short of her own medal by only 0.03 seconds.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist was aiming to break the tie for the most medals at the world championships, but instead faced her first career miss on the podium in slalom events at this level.

“It’s a little bit strange to be making a return midseason, especially at world championships,” Shiffrin told NBC Sports’ Heather Cox after the race. “I think winning one gold was out-of-this-world beyond expectations.”

Shiffrin had previously been sidelined with a puncture wound sustained during a crash in Killington, Vermont, last November, which necessitated a surgical procedure. Despite her challenges, she made a triumphant return earlier this week by teaming with Breezy Johnson to win gold in the team combined event.

After that success, she had hoped to carry the momentum into the individual slalom but struggled with consistency. “I was twice as good as I was in Courchevel,” she remarked, humorously reflecting on her performance after finishing fifth.

Moltzan, despite narrowly missing the podium, expressed satisfaction with her performance. “For me to come across the line with the green light was a win for the day,” she said. “I obviously would love to be on the podium, but some days you’re on the right side of the hundredths and some days you’re on the wrong.”

Meanwhile, Switzerland celebrated a historic achievement, securing a gold and silver in the event while achieving a podium sweep for the women’s side of the championships, further strengthening their performance narrative in these games. The Swiss men have dominated their events, winning eight of the 12 medals at the championships.

“We’re here, and I want to do well… It takes time,” Shiffrin noted as she prepares to return to the World Cup circuit, still chasing her milestone 100th career win.