Shiffrin Tremblant: Second Round Struggles | Skiing News

The giant slalom from January 2024 is mainly associated with the injury of Petra Vlhová for ski fans. The four-time sportswoman of the year in Slovakia seriously injured her knee and has been absent from the competitive slopes ever since.

Statistically, the race in Jasná is also interesting from Mikaela Shiffrin’s point of view. She finished second under Chopek, but since then she has been waiting in vain for the podium in the “obraz”.

She could have broken this almost two-year streak at Mikuláš in Tremblant, Canada, but she did not finish Saturday’s race successfully.

Sixth place with starting number 16 seems flattering, but after a successful opening run, the winner of 104 World Cup events was aiming higher.

She messed up half the round

Shiffrin was ranked third after the first round. She coped with difficult conditions, fog and was 49 hundredths behind leader Alice Robinson.

“I’m happy. I skied exactly the way I wanted. I’m thrilled to be among the fastest female racers again,” she did not hide her joy.

“I feel like I was playing catch-up with what I missed last season. I did my best, but I didn’t always advance to the second round. That’s why this kind of ride is satisfying for me,” added the native of Vail.

VIDEO: Clip from the giant slalom in Tremblant 2025

Before the 2nd round, she was a clear candidate for the podium and at the halfway point she held a promising half-second lead. In the second part, however, it was as if it wasn’t even her.

“She just drives, doesn’t form an arc and is passive,” former skier Jana Wolnerová could not help but wonder when evaluating the American star’s second run.

Shiffrin showed only the 20th best time of the second round, which ultimately pushed her to the sixth position. In the Canadian resort, she missed the podium for the first time – after two third places from 2023.

“She definitely had more to offer. In the first round she showed an excellent ride, in the second she also started well in the steep part, but the subsequent passivity cost her a better result. It’s a shame,” added the expert of JOJ Šport TV.

After crossing the finish line, Shiffrin had a painful grimace on her face, which caused concern. However, the American explained the situation to her fans after the race.

“My back is fine. I went through one of the gates, which really hurt, but only for a minute. It will bruise, but everything is fine. I’m sorry if I scared you,” she said on the Instagram social network.

Grenierová: It’s like a dream

The lackluster performance of the leading woman of the World Cup in the second round pleased the home fans, as Valérie Grenierová rose to third place.

The Canadian reached the fifth podium in the elite series, including the fourth in the giant slalom. In 2023 and 2024, she dominated it in Slovenian Kranjska Gora.

“Every race she’s improving, so I felt she could do well at home. She was confident, had good timing and cornering control.

She didn’t make any unnecessary mistakes, she kept good speed on the flat and it paid off,” said ski coach Patrik Roth.

The 29-year-old racer admitted that winning the podium on her home slope was something she had on her bucket list. Parents were also there.

“It’s the best thing that could have happened to her. We wished her very much. It’s great,” mother Nathalie told ICI Radio‑Canada.

“It’s her best result of the season. She wasn’t very happy with the first two, and she’s coming back from injury, so this podium is very valuable.

We always tell her that she has to give something back from what she herself received. And when I see little girls who look up to her as their idol… It’s great because skiing needs a new generation,” added her father Gabriel.

Grenierova admitted that two years ago she felt a lot of pressure at home, but this time she didn’t let external factors get into her head. “It’s like a dream. I can’t believe it. It gives me confidence,” she said.

Will she imitate Brignone?

Compared to the first round, the two highest ranks did not change, so Alice Robinson enjoyed her victory over the Croatian Zrinka Ljutičová.

She achieved her sixth victory in the World Cup and her second in a row, having also succeeded in the American resort of Copper Mountain a week ago.

“It was a tough race. I remember the last time I was here I didn’t have a very good weekend, so I was a bit scared before this week.

After all, it looked flawless. We worked a lot over the summer and I’m glad that it’s paying off,” said the New Zealander, who leads the ranking of the discipline by 52 points ahead of Julia Scheibová, who was eliminated in the first round.

Since there are up to two giant slaloms on the program in Tremblant, Robinson can follow Federica Brignone. In 2023, the Italian woman won the winning double there, while Petra Vlhová was second in the first round.

VIDEO: Alice Robinson and her ride in the 2nd round

In her absence, 22-year-old Rebeka Jančová represented the Slovak colors behind the big puddle. She took 40th place in the 50-member competition.

“Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for me on the second round. I tried to get it going and also fight with the unevenness, which was not visible, but there were enough of them.

I have another chance tomorrow. There are things I need to work on. With gradual steps, I try to transfer the training ride to the race and give the best possible performance,” said the young Slovak for JOJ Šport.