Emma Aicher completed two runs with an aggregate time of 1:52.62, holding off second-place finisher Lara Colturi by 0.43 seconds to earn the traditional winner's prize of a live Lapland reindeer. Katharina Truppe capitalized on a strong second run, moving up from fifth to finish third, while Croatia's Zrinka Ljutic slipped off the podium into fourth. Six-time venue champion Petra Vlhova took 16th place in her first World Cup slalom since undergoing two surgeries for a January 2024 knee injury. Defending discipline champion Mikaela Shiffrin bypassed the Finnish event to launch her slalom campaign later in the month in Killington.
Key points
Emma Aicher's victory in Levi marks her first World Cup slalom win, adding to her past su…: Emma Aicher's victory in Levi marks her first World Cup slalom win, adding to her past super-G and downhill titles.
The women's slalom field will see defending discipline champion Mikaela Shiffrin begin he…: The women's slalom field will see defending discipline champion Mikaela Shiffrin begin her season on November 29 in Killington.
In line with a tradition started in 2013, the race victory in Finland earned Emma Aicher…: In line with a tradition started in 2013, the race victory in Finland earned Emma Aicher a live Lapland reindeer.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
LEVI, Finland, Nov 14 : Germany's Emma Aicher claimed the first women's World Cup slalom of the season on Saturday, turning her opening-run lead into a dominant victory to secure the first slalom win of her career.
Aicher, who turned 23 on Friday, had a 0.36-second advantage after the first run and looked comfortable in extending her advantage in the second run on the Levi Black course to finish with a combined time of one minute 52.62 seconds.
She finished 0.43 seconds ahead of Albania's Lara Colturi, while Austria's Katharina Truppe climbed from fifth after the first run to complete the podium, 0.50 behind the winner.
The victory adds slalom to Aicher's growing World Cup resume after previous wins in downhill and super-G.
"It's a good birthday present," Aicher said.
"I like Levi, it was my first (slalom) podium (last year), first win in slalom (this year), so it means a lot to be here. My whole family is here as well, so it's really nice to be able to ski the way I want when they are here.
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The victory marks a breakthrough for competitive video gaming among older demographics across the region. As Asia's inaugural live tournament for competitors aged 50 and above, the event illustrates how digital gaming is evolving into an established avenue for active ageing. Community organisers now aim to capitalise on this international interest by introducing additional game titles to upcoming tournament circuits.
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