Mikaela Shiffrin Seeks 100th Race Win This Weekend
Skiing sensation Mikaela Shiffrin returns to home snow this weekend, hoping to win her 100th World Cup race. A milestone once unthinkable in the sport’s near 60-year existence, the American has two bites of the cherry in Killington Ski Resort, Vermont. She is odds-on to win one of the two scheduled races.
Mikaela Shiffrin’s teammate, Katie Hensien, can outperform her 100/1 odds in Killington this weekend. © GettyImages
UK and online gambling sites quote the winning-most skier in history, with an additional two Olympic golds in her bulging trophy cabinet, on 9/2 odds to claim Saturday’s Giant Slalom contest. However, 29-year-old Shiffrin is just 1/4 to take Sunday’s Slalom race. This disciple has provided her with 62 of her previous victories.
Shiffrin – the Queen of the Slalom Mountain
Shiffrin’s chances of winning on Sunday are obvious. There have been two Slalom races this season, and she has won both by huge margins. Killington has hosted the World Cup tour with women’s technical events on Thanksgiving weekend since 2016.
Shiffrin has won the Slalom contest six times in seven years. “I guess there’s a bit of pressure around it [winning in Killington again], but I’ll try to ignore that,” Shiffrin told NBC Sports following her most recent race victory. “If it happens, it’s wonderful. If it doesn’t happen, nothing to cry about in the grand scheme. I hope to have a really good performance in front of the home crowd.”
In the absence of the injured Petra Vlhova, Shiffrin is currently unopposable in Slalom. Those who would like a betting interest in Sunday’s race could consider Lena Durr for a podium finish. The German has already claimed a bronze medal this season.
With nine podium finishes to her credit during the past two years, the veteran, who only races in Slalom contests, is very consistent. The sports betting arm of Unibet Casino may have underestimated Durr by offering 2/1 odds on her achieving another top-three finish.
There Are Some Giants in the Competitive GS Scene
The Giant Slalom race, scheduled for Saturday (live coverage on Eurosport starts at 2.45 pm GMT), is far more competitive. While odds compilers at UK betting sites agree on who the most likely winners are, their prices vary markedly.
Federica Brignone, 34, became the oldest woman to win an alpine skiing World Cup race when scoring at Solden, Austria, a month ago, is the favourite. Top-priced 5/2, the colourful Italian is like a fine wine and enjoyed her finest season in 2023/24 when winning six times.
Winner of this race in 2018, the Italian’s chances are clear to see, but New Zealand’s Alice Robinson, 16 years Brignone’s junior, has accumulated an impressive number of podium finishes and was beaten by just 0.17 seconds by her rival in the season opener. Her odds, 9/2, are also fully justified.
The Best Ski Bet This Weekend Is a 100/1 Shot!
Another person at the top of the betting list is Laura Gut-Behrami. The Swiss all-rounder is a 45-time winner. Only nine of those race wins have come in Giant Slalom, but she won this contest in 2023 and 2024.
If there is to be a shake-up amongst the top and established Giant Slalom stars in women’s skiing, for this weekend, Katie Hensien could introduce herself as one of the new aces in the deck.
The American started with bib 47 in Solden (meaning she was the 47th skier down the run and endured the poorest course conditions), but she recorded the 17th fastest first run time. Starting 17th on the second run, she clocked the second fastest time overall, giving her a combined time good enough to finish fourth overall.
Katie Hensien will likely have extensive knowledge of Killington’s Superstar Piste, and she will undoubtedly be full of confidence following her career-best effort in late October. At the 100/1 odds offered by UK betting sites (20/1 in place-only markets), she appears to be the weekend’s best bet on value grounds.
