Giant Slalom At Six Races

Julia Scheib for the win. 2nd run at Mt. Tremblant - 7 December 2025

    Kranjska Gora was a WAWC meet par excellence. Highly competitive, down-to-the wire racing with most of Tech’s Big People in top form. Though I’d watch Speed if a decision were required, the Technical disciplines’ two-run format generates sustained tension in a way DH or SG single runs cannot.

    This was a pivotal weekend: Giant Slalom’s title shootout between Alice Robinson and Julia Scheib is now Scheib’s for the taking. Alice’s two consecutive DNFs dropped her to third place, 168 points behind Julia’s massive 460 and 23 ahead of Sara Hector, who is having an excellent season, going 4th, 3d, and 2nd in the last three races.

    Second place on 341 points, Camille Rast will pounce if Scheib falters, but Julia’s skiing so well. To my eye, she’s holding her turns more forcefully and consistently than during the season’s beginning. On Semmering’s terrible, broken surface and on Kranjska Gora’s bullet-proof piste, Scheib is solid, in command. It’s hard to see her falling off.

 Camille Rast torching 2nd run at Kranjska Gora. 3 January 2026 

Cammi took the weekend double: Giant Slalom and Slalom. Brilliant meet!! 

I took Robinson’s GS title for granted pre-season. A 2^nd-place 2025 campaign, 60 points from Fede in a career year, and 73 ahead of Hector, Alice’s GS gift surely would take the globe, comfortably. But gifts are not mechanical. Tremblant (4^th race) she was 12 points ahead of Scheib, who’d had a DNF. Then the DNFs while Julia went 2^nd and 1st and that may be that.

    Four Giant Slalom races remain. If Scheib gets another win, a 3d, and 2x4, for 721 points, she’ll put away the title, unless Rast counters with 3x1st and 2^nd for a tie. (What happens if there’s a tie for a Discipline title, or for the Overall? Coin flip? Arm wrestle?) I’m giving Julia slack for a couple non-dominant races, though the way she keeps the throttle down, a DNF is more likely than a sub-podium finish. From any angle, the globe’s got a spot on her shelf.

     Julia Scheib committed and fast. 2nd run at Kranjska Gora, for 2nd place.

Sara Hector’s Big Person GS status is expressing itself per usual in EOS podium form. If she keeps up T3/4, with another podium or two, and unless Robinson gets back on track, Sara looks good for GS EOS 3d.

   Sara Hector put down fastest 2nd run at Kranjs.

4th place--3 hundreths off podium, behind Paula Moltzan.

Still regaining confidence in GS, Mikaela Shiffrin is having a solid season by mortal standard. 2x4th, 5^th, 2x6th, 14^th. That she’s battling for EOS T5 while obliterating the Slalom calendar, shows how giant slalom’s demands are very different from slalom’s, and that even intergalactic talent cannot excel unless it’s settled and poised. Interesting to see if Mikaela cranks it up for a GS victory this season. She’ll get a third place, I’m sure. But with Scheib and Rast in such form, Hector always there, and Moltzan improving every gate, Mikaela’s facing the deepest mid-season competition a discipline can have, I’d say.

   Mikaela Shiffrin on it at Kranjska Gora.

Ibid

Paula Moltzan is nearly right there!  Despite 2xDNF2 she’s in 7^th place with 200 points, 92 behind a sketchy Robinson for 3d. Kicking off at Soelden with a 2^nd, she bookended the calendar with a 3d at Kranjs. Paula goes hell-for-leather on her 2^nd runs. With slalom solid, she’s hitting upper form mid-season. Stoked for Cortina I’m certain. HIT IT PAULA!!

Paula Moltzan carving at Kranjs. 3d place on 2nd and 5th fastest runs.

  Zrinka Ljudic is having a tough season. “Sophomore slump” may be applicable, as 2025 was her first full season with consistent GS T10; and of course her Slalom was fab. Whether it’s nerves, expectations, coaching, gear, Zrinka’s Slalom has fallen way off, and after an okay GS start (2x7th and a 2^nd within first four races), she struggled in Semmering and in Kranjska Gora. Hopefully she’ll get back on track soon. Zrinka's one of the very best eggs.

Julia and Paula happy for Cammi's superb Kranjs race. 1st and 3d fastest runs.

Rast grew up near Crans Montana. Horrible fire on her mind this weekend.

Camille Rast on Kranjska Gora GS podium.

She'll win a Tech globe by EOS 2027. And then a couple more.