Mikaela Shiffrin / GEPA pictures
Robinson Sets the Pace
New Zealand’s Alice Robinson delivered the benchmark run of the morning on a soft Tremblant slope that demanded great timing and constant pressure. She powered through the flat, blind-roll-filled track with balance and clean skiing, crossing in 1:07.05 to open a firm lead.
Her approach was simple and aggressive.
“The snow is the complete opposite of Copper — it’s soft and flat,” Robinson said.
“You have to be ahead of it the whole way, because if you get slow and in the soft stuff, you’re just screwed.”
She executed exactly that.
Ljutic Shines on Her Father’s Course
Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutic, skiing a course set by her father, produced one of the most complete runs of her season. She stayed composed through the blind rolls, carried speed cleanly across the mild terrain, and reached the finish 0.33 behind Robinson. It was another step forward in her growing GS consistency.
Shiffrin Returns to GS Form
The strongest storyline of the first run came from Mikaela Shiffrin, who attacked through steady snowfall and delivered her best GS skiing since last year’s injury. She crossed 0.49 off the lead and sits in third, giving herself a legitimate chance at a podium — and more.
Shiffrin improved as the run progressed, especially in the final two sectors where she pushed with rhythm and confidence.
“The surface skied quite well, and I felt good with my feet,” Shiffrin said.
“There was some snow buildup before I went, so I just tried to push really hard and crank through it.”
The result mattered.
“I wanted to find my touch again in GS. This morning might have been better than I imagined,” she added.
“I focused on really pushing into my turns. That’s exactly what I wanted to feel.”
With clearer visibility expected in the second run, she remains in the fight.
Scheib’s Season Takes a Turn
Austria’s Julia Scheib, the GS standings leader coming into Tremblant after podiums in both opening races, skied brilliantly through the first three sectors before going out late in the run. It is her first GS miss of the season and leaves the discipline standings wide open heading into tomorrow’s second race on the same hill.
North Americans Deliver on Home Snow
Stifel U.S. Ski Team
- Mikaela Shiffrin: 3rd (+0.49), strong and confident.
- Nina O’Brien: 18th (+2.01), powerful skiing despite soft-snow challenges.
- Paula Moltzan: 20th (+2.17), set early pace and safely qualified.
Canada Electrifies Tremblant
The hill erupted repeatedly as Canadian athletes charged the first run.
- Valérie Grenier: recovered from a slow start and attacked through the final sectors to sit 5th (+0.74).
- Britt Richardson: fearless skiing and top-10 pace, landing 9th (+1.17).
- Cassidy Gray, wearing bib 40, thrilled the home crowd with a high-bib qualification after a costly early mistake. She attacked the lower half and earned her spot in run two, giving Canada three qualifiers.
Surprises and Standouts
France’s Clara Direz (bib 26) delivered one of the morning’s best moves with a sharp, well-timed run into 7th (+1.16). Camille Rast and Maryna Gasienica-Daniel also remained close, sitting in a tight group inside 1.2 seconds of the lead.
The soft surface created volatility all morning, opening the door for multiple high-bib skiers to break into the top 30.
High-Bib Qualifiers (Bib 31 and Higher)
Seven racers starting 31 or later earned a second run. One line per athlete, as required:
- Bib 31 — Emma Aicher (GER), 14th (+1.60)
- Bib 40 — Cassidy Gray (CAN), 21st (+2.24)
- Bib 39 — Erika Pykäläinen (FIN), 22nd (+2.32)
- Bib 36 — Sue Piller (SUI), 25th (+2.44)
- Bib 32 — Nina Astner (AUT), 26th (+2.57
- Bib 50 — Simone Wild (SUI), 29th (+2.66)
- Bib 43 — Lisa Hoerhager (AUT), 29th (tie) (+2.66)
Fastest bib-31+ skier: Emma Aicher (GER), bib 31
Highest bib to qualify: Simone Wild (SUI), bib 50
Race Results
Click images to enlarge
Second Run Analysis: Top Three and Other Top 30 North Americans
