Shiffrin Claims Overall Title; Winters Top Ten in Slalom To Finish Season
Mikaela Shiffrin's season concluded on Sunday, March 20, when the 27-year-old hoisted her fourth World Cup overall crystal globe over her head. Shiffrin, who finished seventh in her final race on Sunday, is excited to get some rest before looking forward to spring and summer training, where she'll focus on conquering the softer snow conditions that seemed to give her a hard time this year.
"All in all, it was a good season with some really great performances, and it was also a tough season," she reflected. "I think everybody would say that they are tired at this point, and we're excited to have a couple of days at home before we start right up again."
After her first run of the giant slalom, Shiffrin held the lead by 0.82 seconds. Unfortunately, the snow softened up significantly between the first and second run, making it challenging for Shiffrin, who loves hard, icy surfaces, to hang on to her time. She ended the day in seventh and overall finished third in the giant slalom standings behind Sweden's Sara Hector in second and France's Tessa Worley in first.
"I had a really awesome first run," she said. "It felt like I was trying to replicate it in the second run, but in the end, I wasn't making quick enough turns with the change of conditions. It is what it is. It shows that I have work to do on these types of conditions. It was much like the slalom yesterday, and it gives me a direction to go. But it's so cool for Tessa, on this day, in France, that she was able to grab the globe."
Paula Moltzan joined Shiffrin in the giant slalom and finished in 21st. She is ranked 22nd overall in the giant slalom season standings.
On the men's side, Luke Winters grabbed yet another slalom top 10 in his final slalom race, finishing 8th overall. Winters sat in 21st after his first run and laid down the third-fastest time on the second run to bump him up in the standings and finish the season strong. Winters ended the year ranked 23rd in the slalom overall—marking the best season of his career.
Sunday's races in Courchevel/Meribel, France mark the conclusion of the men's and women's World Cup season. Next, the alpine team heads to Sugarloaf, Maine to compete in U.S. Nationals before jumping right into the spring training series.
Luke Winters grabs another impressive top 10 in slalom to close the season at World Cup Finals in Courchevel/Meribel, France. (Getty Images-Sebastien Bozon)
