Swiss skier Rast ends Shiffrin's six-race winning streak in World Cup slaloms with Olympics looming

KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia (AP) — The duel between Mikaela Shiffrin and her Swiss rival Camille Rast is shaping up nicely with 45 days to go until the women's slalom race at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

Rast ended Shiffrin’s six-race winning streak in World Cup slaloms Sunday, beating the American star by 0.14 seconds after clocking the fastest time in both runs at an event in Slovenia.

Rast, who is the slalom world champion, also led Shiffrin last week in Austria after the first leg but the American made up more than half a second on a deteriorating course to narrowly take the win.

On Sunday, though, Rast held on to her first-run lead for her fourth career win, and third in slalom, before being hugged by Shiffrin in the finish area.

“Her skiing is so strong, and it’s been building, building, building,” Shiffrin said about Rast. "The last races she had some mistakes that cost time. And today, how I saw her ski the first run, ah, I had to go 120% in order to have a shot. So, it was a big, big, amazing day for her.”

Shiffrin was still satisfied with her own skiing and celebrated by pumping her fist after finishing her final run, when Rast was yet to start.

“I had a really specific goal for my skiing for the second (run), a little bit technical thing, and I felt like I really accomplished that,” Shiffrin said.

“This was the hardest I could push. I pushed so hard, it was like a small mistake here and a small mistake there and I don’t think that cost time. That was just how hard I was trying. I could feel these turns that I wanted to feel.”

Sunday's victory came one day after Rast earned her maiden giant slalom win on the same hill and dedicated that victory to the victims of the fire at a bar in Crans-Montana near her hometown of Vétroz.

"I gave everything I had this weekend. Double on the same weekend is quite amazing. I’m so happy,” Rast said, adding that “a lot of energy” was key to her triumph.

“It was a little bit a battle, but I had a lot of fun. And the slope, wow, was amazing, The preparation was top.”

The duo was far ahead of the rest of the field, with Rast’s teammate Wendy Holdener trailing by a massive 1.83 seconds in third for her first podium result in nearly a year.

Shiffrin’s teammate Paula Moltzan in fourth was the only other racer finishing less than two seconds off the pace.

Shiffrin, who took slalom gold at the 2014 Olympics and holds four world titles in the discipline, won the final race of last season before taking the first five slaloms in the current campaign and raise her career tally to 69 wins in slalom and 106 overall, both World Cup records.

Defending slalom World Cup winner Zrinka Ljutic of Croatia didn’t finish for the fourth time in six races this season.

Italian prodigy Lara Colturi, competing for Albania, lost her balance and fell on the first run on a course set by her father and coach, Alessandro Colturi. She was on the podium in four of the previous five slaloms this season.

The next slalom is a night race on Jan. 13 in Flachau, where Rast triumphed last year and Shiffrin won five times in the past. The last slalom before the Olympics is on Jan. 25 in Czechia.

A downhill and a super-G are scheduled next weekend in another Austrian resort, Zauchensee.

There were no men's World Cup races this weekend.

AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

Switzerland's Camille Rast celebrates after winning an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Switzerland's Camille Rast, center, winner of an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, poses with second placed United States' Mikaela Shiffrin, left, and third placed Switzerland's Wendy Holdener, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Switzerland's Camille Rast, left, winner of an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, is congratulated by second placed United States' Mikaela Shiffrin, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Switzerland's Camille Rast reacts at the finish line after winning an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

United States' Paula Moltzan speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

United States' Mikaela Shiffrin speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

United States' Mikaela Shiffrin speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

United States' Mikaela Shiffrin inspects the course ahead of an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Switzerland's Camille Rast speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia’s parliament on Friday appointed right-wing populist politician Janez Jansa as the new prime minister, in a shift for the small European Union country that was previously run by a liberal government.

Lawmakers backed Jansa in a 51-36 vote in the 90-member assembly. The new prime minister will need to come back to Parliament within the next 15 days for another vote to confirm his future Cabinet.

Jansa's appointment concludes a postelection stalemate in Slovenia after a parliamentary ballot two months ago ended practically in a tie. Former liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob's Freedom Movement won by a thin margin but he was unable to muster a parliamentary majority.

Jansa and his populist Slovenian Democratic Party signed a coalition agreement this week with several right-wing groups. The new government also has the backing of a nonestablishment Truth party that first emerged as an anti-vaccination movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new term in office will be the fourth for the veteran Slovenian politician. Jansa, 67, is an admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump and was a close ally of former populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was defeated in a landslide election last month.

Jansa in a speech listed the economy, fight against corruption and red tape, and decentralization as key goals of the future government. He has promised to lower taxes for the rich and support private education and healthcare.

Critical of the previous government's alleged “inefficiency," Jansa said the new government will turn Slovenia into “a country of opportunity, prosperity and justice, where each responsible citizen will feel safe and accepted."

Like Orban, Jansa was staunchly anti-immigrant during the huge migration wave to Europe in 2015. Also like Orban, Jansa has faced accusations of clamping down on democratic institutions and press freedoms during a previous term in 2020-2022. This led to protests at the time, and scrutiny from the European Union.

Golob in his speech described Jansa as “the greatest threat to Slovenia’s sovereignty and democracy."

Alleging that Jansa had threatened to arrest him, Golob said Jansa's "idea of democracy is that anyone who dares speak a word against you deserves only the worst.”

Jansa, a supporter of Israel, also has been a stern critic of the Golob government's 2024 recognition of a Palestinian state.

The vote on March 22 was marred by allegations of foreign influence and corruption. The around 2 million people in the Alpine nation are deeply divided between liberals and conservatives.

Janez Jansa, center, addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa arrives for a session of the Slovenian Parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)