World Cup Finals: Super-G central as record-breaking women’s season ends in Soldeu

Sports fans may well be seeing the Audi FIS Ski World Cup Finals in Soldeu (13-19 March) as the ideal opportunity to salute the extraordinary exploits of Mikaela Shiffrin – with the superstar skier herself no doubt eying up more record-extending wins – but there is also still a major, season-long title to be won.

And the race to secure this crystal globe could not be tighter.

While Shiffrin has been utterly imperious in both the slalom and the giant slalom, and Italian Sofia Goggia has matched her dominance in the downhill, the super-G has been a thrillingly different story all season long.

In the seven races so far there have been seven different winners and, heading into Soldeu’s final showdown on 16 March, when there will be 100 points on offer to the winner, a mere 26 separate the top four in the standings.

And even then, Federica Brignone, winner of one of the only two women’s World Cup super-Gs held in Soldeu before, lies just a further 18 points behind in fifth.

In a neat twist, the skier currently leading the way is not among this season’s seven race winners. In fact, Elena Curtoni has finished on the super-G podium only twice but the Italian’s consistency gives her the edge over Olympic super-G champion Lara Gut-Behrami. Should Curtoni hold on, it would mark a popular first ever crystal globe title for the 32-year-old in her 13th World Cup season. Given how tight the battle is, she could well do it without winning the Soldeu race. No woman has ever won the super-G crystal globe without a World Cup victory in the discipline that season.

But they are lining up to prevent such an occurrence.

Racing in her 15th World Cup season, and with three super-G globes already from 18 race wins, Gut-Behrami is one of the all-time greatest women in the discipline. And despite not being at her very best this season, the Swiss skier is poised to strike and claim a fourth title in her favoured discipline.

Third-placed Conny Huetter, just six points behind Gut-Behrami, comes in with great momentum. Hot on the heels of taking World Championship super-G bronze – her first major medal – in February, Huetter triumphed in the opening super-G race in Kvitfjell earlier this month. Her performance not only ended the spectre of no Austrian woman topping a World Cup podium for the first time in a season ever, but also showed her rivals she is to be feared.

Norway’s ever-smiling veteran Ragnhild Mowinckel led the way going into that double-header in her home resort of Kvitfjell but after failing to break into the top 10 in either race, she now sits fourth, albeit still in with a great shout of securing her first season-ending title.

Shiffrin and Goggia looking to extend dominance

While Shiffrin cannot quite spoil the others’ super-G party, should she enter the speed discipline she could still grab an overall podium place despite having raced only four times ahead of Soldeu (one win, one fourth and two seventh-place finishes).

Her figures, of course, make even more impressive reading elsewhere. The overall big crystal globe has long since been claimed by the Colorado native and she now has the chance to further extend her incredible points tally. It currently stands at 2,028 – making her just the third skier ever to break the magical 2,000 mark.

She cannot quite catch record-setter Tina Maze, who notched 2,414 in her miracle 2013 season. Shiffrin’s 13 World Cup wins already this season, when she has primarily focused on the technical disciplines, give a flavour of what an incredible campaign it has been for the American.

In the slalom Shiffrin could make it seven wins from 11 races for a 63% success rate (she already has a 90% podium success rate this season), and in the giant slalom it could be an even better win rate of seven from 10 races, should she succeed in Soldeu.

Remarkably, Goggia has mirrored these figures in her favoured discipline and the Italian could become the first female skier in 13 years to win six downhill races in a single season. Her third successive season title – and fourth overall – is indicative of her place as the fastest woman on skis.

Fighting for podium places

Behind these two titans, there is still plenty to play for. Petra Vlhova (SVK) has the opportunity to close the season with three overall podiums, despite a campaign in which she has been far from her very best.

She and Gut-Behrami are locked in a tight battle for second place in the Overall, with just 18 points separating them. It’s the same story in the giant slalom, with an even tighter four points between the veteran duo – although Brignone and 2021’s GS champion Marta Bassino are firmly in the hunt too.

Vlhova looks far more secure to remain on the overall podium in the slalom. She sits in third place, well ahead of Germany’s Lena Duerr, with Wendy Holdener also well clear in second. It will be the second time Holdener has taken second in the slalom season standings, but, after breaking her famous World Cup win drought in the discipline earlier this season, the Swiss star will no doubt be eying up the chance to end such a run of ‘bridesmaid finishes’ when everything gets back underway later in the year.

But before that, it is Soldeu. Make sure to tune in for a final fix of World Cup action.