The women's slalom final will take place on Wednesday and all eyes will be on Team USA's Mikaela Shiffrin, who will be seeking Olympic gold in her favorite event for the first time in 12 years.
We take a look at the history of the women's slalom, how it works, and who could come out on top in Wednesday's final.
Schedule
The women's slalom final will conclude the alpine skiing programme at this year's Winter Olympics on Wednesday February 18th, with the first run scheduled to get underway at 04:00 ET and the second coming later that morning at 07:30 ET.
Venue
Like all women's alpine skiing events at this year's Games, the women's slalom final will take place at Olimpia delle Tofane, a classic World Cup downhill ski course located in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
History of women's slalom
Women's slalom was first seen at the Winter Olympics all the way back in 1936 when it formed part of the women's combined event which also featured downhill skiing.
It was first included as a solo event at the 1948 Games in St. Moritz, Switzerland, when American Gretchen Fraser took home the gold, while it was compatriot Andrea Mead Lawrence that triumphed four years later in Oslo.
In the 74 years since that 1952 success, Team USA have only taken gold twice more, Barbara Cochran doing so at the Sapporo Games of 1972 and Mikaela Shiffrin 12 years ago in Sochi - Shiffrin is of course back for more this year.
Slovakia's Petra Vlhova is the reigning champion after finishing just 0.08 seconds faster than Austria's Katharina Liensberger at the 2022 Games in Beijing.
Vlhova is back to defend her title despite missing two years of competitions since her Olympic success due to injury. Liensberger and Beijing bronze medalist, Wendy Holdener of Switzerland, will also be competing.
How it works
Slalom is considered the fastest of the alpine skiing disciplines, with female competitors required to ski down a slope that boasts a vertical descent of 140m to 180m.
While descending the slope, the athletes must pass through alternating red and blue gates which have a minimum width of 4m and a maximum of 6m.
All competitors will complete at least one run of the course, with the fastest ones making it through for a second run. The two run times are then added together and the competitor with the quickest combined time is declared the winner/gold medalist.
Team USA Medal prospects
All eyes will be on Mikaela Shiffrin for the women's slalom final, with the Colorado native considered the heavy favourite to clinch gold for Team USA.
Shiffrin is the most decorated slalom skier in history, holding the record for most World Cup wins (71) and slalom globes (nine), as well as being crowned world champion on four occasions.
This season she has won all but one of her races, finishing second in the other, but despite all her success, she has not claimed Olympic gold in her favourite event since doing so as a teenager in Sochi in 2014.
The now 30-year-old missed out on a slalom medal by just 0.08s in Pyeongchang in 2018, while she also went off favourite in Beijing four years ago but recorded a disappointing DNF.
Shiffrin's performances at these Games have also provided more questions than answers - she could only finish 11th in the giant slalom, while she posted the fourth-slowest time in the slalom run of the team combined event.
Should Shiffrin falter, there are plenty of contenders to deny her and Team USA the gold, including reigning world champion Camille Rast of Switzerland, highly-rated Albanian Lara Colturi, who could emulate Shiffrin by winning gold as a teenager, as well as Germany's Emma Aicher, who posted the quickest time in the slalom section of the team combined.
Paula Moltzan could also pip her compatriot to gold, but US fans will be hoping both her and Shiffrin can get on the podium and perhaps complete an American one-two.
Women's Slalom Final Odds
Mikaela Shiffrin | -150 |
|---|---|
Camille Rast | +600 |
Emma Aicher | +800 |
Wendy Holdener | +900 |
Paula Moltzan | +1000 |
Katharina Truppe | +1200 |
Anna Swenn-Larsson | +1600 |
Lara Colturi | +2500 |
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time
