The final women's World Cup race of the calendar year delivered chaos, comebacks, and another historic victory for Mikaela Shiffrin, who claimed her 106th career World Cup win and 69th Slalom victory after two demanding runs on the icy slopes of Semmering, Austria. Following a tricky Giant Slalom on Saturday, December 27, conditions remained difficult on Saturday, December 28, with a battered course, softening snow, and 45 DNFs, highlighting just how unforgiving the Semmering hill can be.
Julia Scheib thrilled the home crowd in Semmering, Austria, on Saturday, December 27, storming to victory in a dramatic women's World Cup Giant Slalom. Scheib edged Switzerland's Camille Rast by just 0.14 seconds, with Sweden's Sara Hector rounding out the podium in third after a razor-tight battle that stayed unresolved until the final skier crossed the line. In tricky light, aggressive course setting, and with 22 DNFs on the day,
This year, as is the case almost every year, filling out the ballot will be challenging, as the athletes and performances have once again been truly outstanding. In my assessment, 2025 also stands out as a year with more high-profile DNFs than in recent years. "UltraRunning Magazine" doesn't give any specific criteria in weighing DNFs in their voting instructions, and it is up to each voter to determine for themselves the importance of a particular race result, including DNFs.