This weekend, the Alpine Ski World Cup returns to Killington, Vermont. The home crowd’s darling, Mikaela Shiffrin, stands on the brink of history. In Gurgl, she achieved her 99th World Cup victory and now has a chance to cross the threshold and win her 100th win on home snow. 100 World Cup victories is a milestone that only two other winter athletes in the past have crossed. Shiffrin was born in Colorado; however, Killington was where she made her first skiing steps. Every time she races here, it is emotional for her, and gaining her 100th victory right here would be an especially touching moment.
Yet, many more special ladies plan to mar the joy, so let us not celebrate yet.
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The Venue: Killington Ski Resort
Killington Ski Resort, known as the “Beast of the East,” is the largest ski area in the eastern United States. It has 155 trails and 21 lifts across six interconnected mountain peaks. The resort’s primary mountain, Killington Peak, stands at 1,288 meters and has a vertical drop of 930 meters. Since 2016, Killington has been a regular stop on the Women’s World Cup circuit, hosting giant slalom and slalom events on the renowned “Superstar” trail.
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The North American Leg of the World Cup
The North American segment of the World Cup tour kicks off in Killington with women’s giant slalom and slalom races. As the technical skiers still had to race in Europe (Gurgl and Levi), the speed specialists left for America weeks ago and have been training here. The technicians and their teams complain a lot about their short breaks for acclimatization. Following Killington, the tour moves to Mont-Tremblant, Canada, for additional technical events and then to Beaver Creek, Colorado, for speed races.
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Weather and Snow Conditions
As of November 27, 2024, the sun is shining with temperatures around 4°C in Killington. The forecast for the weekend indicates possible snowfall, with temperatures ranging from 1°C to -5°C on Saturday, November 30, and similar conditions on Sunday, December 1. So, neither too freezing nor warm. Indeed, we don’t expect any extreme conditions. However, the racers used to European snow will surely need some time to adjust and work closely with their technicians to find the optimal equipment this week, as North American snow has a different quality.
Giant Slalom Preview
In the giant slalom, we expect Shiffrin to try to gain the 100th victory in front of the home crowd. However, she has not been as successful in the giant slalom here as in the slalom. True, her form is magnificent this year, but will she stand up to the pressure?
Her competition includes Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami, who is making her season debut after recovering from injury. Gut-Behrami, a two-time giant slalom crystal globe winner, is eager to make a strong return, and don’t let us forget that she won in Killington last year.
Other contenders include Michelle Gisin, who has consistently performed in technical events, and Wendy Holdener, who showed up last week in superb form, hungry for victory after her devastating injury. Austria’s Katharina Liensberger is regaining her form and could be a significant threat in the giant slalom as slalom.
Slalom Preview
Shiffrin’s dominance in slalom at Killington is well-documented, with six victories out of seven races held here. Her main competitors include Albania’s youngster Lara Colturi, who gained her first podium last race, and Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener (SUI). Camille Rast, also from Switzerland, is coming off her first World Cup podium and looking to build on that momentum.
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Germany’s Lena Dürr has had a successful start to the season and has not succumbed to the pressure. She is another lady to watch. And don’t forget Katharina Liensberger (AUT), whose form is climbing.
As the weekend approaches, all eyes will be on Killington to see if Mikaela Shiffrin can achieve her historic 100th World Cup victory on home soil. We expect a weekend packed with superb performances, stunning views, and heart-breaking emotions.
