Since the 2015/16 season, Wendy Holdener has been one of the top five slalom skiers in the world. On Sunday in Killington, it finally works out with the first win – thanks to a little more ease and a little less obsession.
Redemption in Vermont – Wendy Holdener achieves a big career goal.
It is probably the most overdue victory in the history of the Ski World Cup. Wendy Holdener had finished second and third 15 times in World Cup slaloms before the 29-year-old from Schwyz won ex aequo with Anna Swenn-Larsson on Sunday in Killington in the US state of Vermont. Never before had a ski racer placed in the top three in a discipline so often without once being the fastest.
Holdener had outperformed everyone on other occasions, becoming world combined champion in 2017 and 2019 and winning two combined and one parallel race in the World Cup. But in the parade discipline it didn’t and didn’t want to work, which had a lot to do with the special class of two opponents, first and foremost with Mikaela Shiffrin, secondarily with Petra Vlhova. And if neither of the two could prevail for once, drivers like Andreja Slokar (Méribel 2022) or Michelle Gisin (Semmering 2020) were at the top of the podium.
WOW! FIRST SLALOM WORLD CUP VICTORY for @WendyHoldener! The Schwyzer triumphed in Killington at the same time as the Swede Anna Swenn Larsson. ????
Congratulations, Wendy! ?? pic.twitter.com/yZHXMu6D76
— SwissSkiTeam (@swissskiteam) November 27, 2022
Now Holdener finished second after the first run, 21 hundredths behind Shiffrin. The American had won each of the five World Cup slaloms to date in Killington and both in Levi the previous weekend, where Holdener once again finished second in the second race. This time it was different. In the second run, Holdener equalized the time of Swenn-Larsson, who had previously been victorious in the World Cup, before Shiffrin dropped back to fifth place.
For Holdener, victory is of course tantamount to salvation. It was finally enough, which may have a lot to do with the fact that Holdener managed to approach things with a little more ease and a little less obsession. And with the fact that after injuries in autumn 2020 and 2021 she was able to start the season well prepared this time.
Killington, Vermont (USA). Women’s World Cup Slalom: 1. Wendy Holdener (SUI) and Anna Swenn-Larsson (SWE) 1:42.97. 3. Katharina Troupe (AUT) 0.22 behind. 4. Petra Vlhova (SVK) 0.44. 5. Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) 0.59. 6. Maria Therese Tviberg (NOR) 0.69. 7. Ana Bucik (SLO) 0.71. 8. Franziska Gritsch (AUT) 0.73. 9. Leona Popovic (CRO) 0.89. 10. Sara Hector (SWE) 1.10.
Also: 17th Mélanie Meillard (SUI) 1.52. 20 Elena Stoffel (SUI) 1.90. 23. Camille Rast (SUI) 2.18. 26. Michelle Gisin (SUI) 2.68. – 28 of the 30 finalists classified. – Eliminated among others: Katharina Liensberger (AUT).