Today's Slalom in Killington brought two new winner faces in the World Cup. Swiss Wendy Holdener and Swede Anna Swenn Larsson, surprisingly shared their first Slalom victory in the World Cup. Is the first Women's Slalom joint first place since 2011 in Flachau when Tanja Poutiainen and Maria Riesch shared the first position.
Finally! After 106 starts Wendy Holdener won a World Cup slalom for the first time. The 29-year-old Swiss lays the foundation for her first World Cup victory with a strong first run, in which she only loses 21 hundredths to Mikaela Shiffrin and a consistent second run on a tricky, tight course set by her own coach.
Until today Wendy Holdener had stood on the Slalom podium in the World Cup 30 times, but had yet to achieve her first victory. This was the record for the most World Cup podium finishes in a single discipline without winning.
Only Frida Hansdotter (17) has finished second more times in a World Cup slalom than Holdener (15). Holdener's 15 third-place finishes in slalom are also a record for a woman.
Before today the last Swiss winner of a women's slalom World Cup was Michelle Gisin in Semmering on 29 December 2020.
"I'm not really realizing it yet. It does taste sweet, but in an hour or two it will be even more crazy. I love skiing, and I try to never forget to have fun, because I had years where it was not that easy. I didn’t always have fun ski racing", said Holdener.
"It was a tough day. Conditions are difficult. When I crossed the finish line, I saw zero and knew it was worth it, I was really happy. The preparation this year, as well as the experience and the fact that things fit together in the team again, helped me immensely", she added.
Swenn Larsson, fourth after the first run, put down an aggressive second run, and despite making an error at the top of the course, she was able to recover in the lower section to finished in the top of the podium with Holdener.
Until today Anna Swenn-Larsson had achieved six slalom podiums in the World Cup, but she had not achieved her first victory. Sweden's most recent slalom World Cup victory was achieved by Frida Hansdotter in Flachau on January 10, 2017.
At the age of 31, the Swede broke a different record, becoming the oldest debut winner in a World Cup event.
“I didn't think it would be enough. It was a tough second run. I am so happy. I have a lot of emotions, it is a dream come true. I fought really hard for this one, I’ve been fighting for it my whole life", said Swenn Larsson.
Katharina Truppe finished in third place, +0.22 seconds behind the winning duo. It's her third World Cup Podium. The last time she climbed to the podium was in 2020 in Kranjska Gora.
“It was a tough fight. You have to push to your limit, there is no space to make mistakes and you have to risk it all. But today luck was on my side. I’am really happy", said Truppe.
Local hero and main favourite Mikaela Shiffrin, who had won all 5 slaloms held in Killington and the first two ones of the season in Levi, missed the podium in fifth place (+0.59) after setting the best time in the first run.
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