Semmering Alpine Ski World Cup Races Preview

Mikaela Shiffrin. Picture: Erich Spiess / ASP / Red Bull Content Pool

Women will bid farewell to 2025 in Austria with a Giant Slalom and Slalom races in Semmering on December 28th and 29th. The inaugural Women's Alpine Ski World Cup race took place at Hirschenkogel in Semmering on December 29, 1995. Pernilla Wiberg won the first Slalom event.

Semmering has hosted 14 World Cup Giant Slalom races, all women’s. The first, on December 27, 1998, was won by Anita Wachter.

Semmering is a town in the district of Neunkirchen in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. Nestled in the heart of the Viennese Alps, the Semmering Hirschenkogel ski area offers 14 kilometers of slopes that range from the family slope to the FIS World Cup panoramic slope to the freeride area, 13 km of which are illuminated for World Cup use.

Semmering (AUT)

December 28th Giant Slalom/ Women 10:00 CET 1st run 13:00 CET 2nd run

December 29th Slalom / Women 10:30 CET 1st run 13:30 CET 2nd run

In 2022, Semmering hosted three races, two Giant Slaloms (one of which replaced the canceled event in Sölden) and a Slalom.

On December 27, Mikaela Shiffrin won the first race after the Christmas break in Semmering. Thanks to a superb first run, Shiffrin was able to hold the top position by a mere 0.13 seconds to beat Petra Vlhova. She took advantage of her bib number 1 in a heavily salted racecourse with spring-like conditions in the morning to outclass the competition with a super clean trimming line. The Slovak set the best time in the second run.

Marta Bassino rounded out the podium. She finished 0.31 seconds behind Shiffrin.

The day after, Mikaela Shiffrin won the second Giant Slalom held in Semmering. After being second in the first run, the 27-year-old was able to climb to the top of the podium to beat Lara Gut-Behrami by a mere 0.10 seconds.

Marta Bassino rounded out the podium. She finished 0.47 seconds behind Shiffrin.

Mikaela Shiffrin put an end to 2022 in the best possible way, with a hat trick in a 1-2 US podium with Paula Moltzan in second place (+0.29). Lena Duerr finished in third place, 0.34 seconds behind Shiffrin.

Last season, Federica Brignone won the third Giant Slalom of the Alpine Ski World Cup season held in Semmering. The Italian skier confidently defended her first run lead and finished 0.57 seconds ahead of Sweden's Sara Hector. New Zealand's Alice Robinson (+0.90) came third.

Zrinka Ljutic won the last Alpine Ski World Cup race of 2024, the Slalom in Semmering, in dominant fashion after setting the fastest time in both runs. Lena Duerr finished second, 1.75 seconds behind the Croatian. Katharina Liensberger completed the podium in third place, 1.85 seconds back.

The young talent outclassed the competition. She took advantage of the good starting number two in the first run, but also of her father's course setting. Then, Ljutic impressively held her nerve in the decisive run and once again set the fastest time.