Emma Aicher won the first women’s slalom of the season in the Alpine Skiing World Cup. The German triumphed in Levi, Finland, with a total time of 1:52.62 minutes, after being the fastest in the first run.
Aicher completed the first run in 55.74 seconds and built a lead of 0.36 seconds over Lara Colturi. In the second run, the German competitor maintained control of her performance, finishing in 56.88 seconds and remaining at the top of the final standings.
“This is definitely a good birthday present,” Aicher said, according to the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). The competitor turned 23 on November 13, one day before the race in Levi.
The success was Aicher’s first in slalom and her sixth in the World Cup. Her previous five victories came in speed events, while the German competes in all four Alpine skiing disciplines.
Aicher was born in the Swedish city of Sundsvall and represented Sweden until 2020. Since the 2020/2021 season, she has competed for Germany.
Lara Colturi finished second with a time of 1:53.05 minutes, 0.43 seconds behind the winner. The 19-year-old competitor, who represents Albania, recorded a second consecutive podium finish at the start of the season after also finishing among the top three in the giant slalom in Sölden.
“This is a good start and I’m certainly happy with it. I know I can push even more, but this is only the first slalom of the season,” Colturi said.
Katharina Truppe finished third with a time of 1:53.12 minutes, 0.50 seconds behind. The Austrian was fifth after the first run but posted the fastest time in the second run – 56.33 seconds.
The next women’s World Cup slalom will take place on November 21 in Gurgl, Austria.