Mikaela Shiffrin holds off Emma Aicher to win record-tying 6th overall World Cup skiing title

HAFJELL, Norway (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin secured a record-tying sixth women’s overall World Cup skiing title by holding off a challenge from emerging German rival Emma Aicher in the final race of the season Wednesday.

Shiffrin needed only to finish in the top 15 of a giant slalom and the American standout secured that before Aicher even began her second run.

Shiffrin finished 11th and Aicher — who needed to win the race and hope that Shiffrin finished 16th or worse to clinch her first title — finished 12th.

“It’s quite emotional,” Shiffrin said. “This thing sums up a whole season of work and fighting with the whole team and I have to say to Emma that her skiing has been just outstanding and today it was just so cool to watch her, especially on the first run.

“I think the outcome of this day is that she can do this. And I think that’s the coolest thing about ski racing — that anything is possible,” Shiffrin added.

Shiffrin was only 17th after the first run but came down in first position in the second and then clinched it when the next two starters placed behind her.

After being told it was over, Shiffrin dropped to her knees, put her right hand to her face and appeared to be in tears as she asked her team, “Are you sure?”

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, Shiffrin’s fiancee and the 2020 overall champion, was with her.

Aicher put the pressure on by skiing into third during the first run. But then the German made a major mistake early in her second run and lost all her speed.

“I had many moments where I thought, ‘Emma can win this race and I might not make points,'" Shiffrin said. “I’m very grateful right now because I think this this could go differently.”

Shiffrin matched Austrian downhill great Annemarie Moser-Pröll, who won her six titles in the 1970s.

Moser-Pröll won five straight titles from 1971-75 then a sixth in 1979. Shiffrin won three straight from 2017-19, then back-to-back titles in 2022 and ’23.

Lindsey Vonn is third on the women’s list with four overall titles.

And at 31, Shiffrin isn’t done yet.

“I’m ready for another season — or maybe not yet — but I’m excited to keep ski racing,” she said.

Marcel Hirscher leads the men’s list with eight overall titles.

Valerie Grenier of Canada added to her first-run advantage to claim her third career World Cup victory. Mina Fuerst Holtmann of Norway finished second on home snow, 0.43 behind, and discipline champion Julia Scheib was third, 0.57 behind.

Shiffrin was 2.02 behind and Aicher was 2.04 behind after a major mistake early in her second run dropped her down from third after the opening leg.

Shiffrin finished 87 points ahead of Aicher — 1,410 points to 1,323 points.

It’s been another stellar season for Shiffrin, who claimed the third Olympic gold of her career by dominating the slalom at last month's Milan Cortina Games.

Shiffrin also won nine of the 10 World Cup slaloms this season and has a record 110 victories across all disciplines — by far the most in the World Cup by any man or woman. Ingemar Stenmark is next best with 86 wins in the 1970s and ’80s.

The 22-year-old Aicher has never won a World Cup giant slalom and has a career-best finish of fourth, achieved this month at Are, Sweden. The only current skier who competes in every event, Aicher was aiming for her first overall title after taking home two silver medals — in downhill and team combined — from Milan Cortina.

Aicher, who has a Swedish mother and a German father and grew up mostly in Sweden, won three World Cup races this season — one downhill and two super-Gs.

Scheib already clinched the discipline title in the penultimate giant slalom of the season; while Olympic GS champion Federica Brignone shut her season down early.

Shiffrin's results and Vonn's domination in downhill until her horrific crash at the Olympics helped the U.S. women secure the Nations Cup title for the first time since 1982 by finishing ahead of perennial winner Austria.

With Olympic downhill champion Breezy Johnson, Paula Moltzan and Jacqueline Wiles also registering podium finishes, the U.S. produced 11 World Cup victories and 27 podium finishes with 16 different athletes contributing points throughout the season.

“This achievement is a testament to the strength of this team from top to bottom,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard chief of sport Anouk Patty. "Everyone played a role in this success.”

Tamara McKinney, Cindy Nelson and Christin Cooper led the U.S. to the 1982 title.

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

United States' Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates winning the women's overall World Cup skiing title, at the Lillehammer World Cup Finals, in Hafjell, Norway, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Germany's Emma Aicher at the finish area of an alpine ski, women's giant slalom race, at the Lillehammer World Cup Finals, in Hafjell, Norway, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

United States' Mikaela Shiffrin, back to camera, is hugged by her mother Eileen at the finish area of an alpine ski, women's giant slalom race, at the Lillehammer World Cup Finals, in Hafjell, Norway, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

United States' Mikaela Shiffrin is overcome with emotion as her fiancee Norway's Aleksander Aamodt Kilde stands by her side, at the finish area of an alpine ski, women's giant slalom race, at the Lillehammer World Cup Finals, in Hafjell, Norway, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

United States' Mikaela Shiffrin at the finish area of an alpine ski, women's giant slalom race, at the Lillehammer World Cup Finals, in Hafjell, Norway, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Canada's Valerie Grenier competes in an alpine ski, women's giant slalom race, at the Lillehammer World Cup Finals, in Hafjell, Norway, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Germany's Emma Aicher competes in an alpine ski, women's giant slalom race, at the Lillehammer World Cup Finals, in Hafjell, Norway, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

United States' Mikaela Shiffrin competes in an alpine ski, women's giant slalom race, at the Lillehammer World Cup Finals, in Hafjell, Norway, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Germany's Emma Aicher competes in an alpine ski, women's giant slalom race, at the Lillehammer World Cup Finals, in Hafjell, Norway, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

United States' Mikaela Shiffrin competes in an alpine ski, women's giant slalom race, at the Lillehammer World Cup Finals, in Hafjell, Norway, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has received an American plan to pause the war in the Middle East, officials said Wednesday — a proposal sent even as Washington deploys paratroopers and more Marines to the region.

Tehran publicly dismissed the diplomatic effort while launching more attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab countries, including an assault that sparked a huge fire at Kuwait International Airport. Iran also continued to come under attack.

Iranian state television’s English-language broadcaster quoted an anonymous official Wednesday as saying Iran rejected America’s 15-point ceasefire proposal. Press TV’s report came after Pakistan transmitted the proposal to Iran.

Two officials from Pakistan, which delivered the plan to Iran, described the 15-point proposal broadly, saying it addressed sanctions relief, a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program, limits on missiles and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is shipped. An Egyptian official involved in the mediation efforts said the proposal also includes restrictions on Iran’s support for armed groups. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet released.

Some of those points were nonstarters in negotiations before the war: Iran has insisted it won’t discuss its ballistic missile program or its support of regional militias, which it views as key to its security. And its ability to control passage through the Strait of Hormuz represents one of its biggest strategic advantages.

Iran’s attacks on regional energy infrastructure along with its restrictions on the strait have sent oil prices skyrocketing and sparked fears of a global energy crisis, in turn putting pressure on the U.S. to find a way to end the chokehold and calm markets.

At least 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division will be sent to the Mideast in the coming days, three people with knowledge of the plans told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans.

The paratroopers are trained to jump into hostile or contested areas to secure key territory and airfields.

The Pentagon is also in the process of sending about 5,000 more Marines, trained in amphibious assaults, and thousands of sailors to the region.

The 15-point plan now in Iranian hands is “a comprehensive deal” to reach a ceasefire, according to the Egyptian official.

Mediators are pushing for possible in-person talks between the Iranians and the Americans, perhaps as soon as Friday in Pakistan, the Egyptian and Pakistani officials said.

Trump has said the U.S. is “in negotiations right now” and that the participants included special envoy Steve Witkoff, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance. He has not disclosed who from Iran they are in contact with, but said "the other side, I can tell you, they’d like to make a deal.”

Iran’s Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which commands the regular military and the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, dismissed that. Iranian leaders have repeatedly denied talks are happening, while acknowledging that the foreign minister is in contact with various countries but not the U.S. or Israel.

“Our first and last word has been the same from day one, and it will stay that way: Someone like us will never come to terms with someone like you,” Lt. Col. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesman for the headquarters, said in the video statement aired on state television. “Not now, not ever.”

Israeli officials, who have been advocating for Trump to continue the war against Iran, were surprised by the submission of a ceasefire plan, according to a person who was briefed on the contours of the proposal and spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Any talks between the U.S. and Iran would face monumental challenges. It’s not clear who in Iran’s government has the authority to negotiate — or would be willing to, as Israel has vowed to continue killing the country’s leaders.

Iran remains highly suspicious of the United States, which twice under the Trump administration has attacked during high-level diplomatic talks, including with the Feb. 28 strikes that started the current war.

“We have a very catastrophic experience with U.S. diplomacy,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told India Today on Tuesday.

The Israeli military said Wednesday afternoon it had completed several waves of airstrikes in Tehran. The army also said that as part of its strikes a day earlier it targeted an Iranian submarine development center in Isfahan.

“There have been some days when the bombings are so intense you can’t do anything,” a 26-year-old graduate student in Tehran said, adding his friends mostly stayed at home. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of security fears.

Missile alert sirens sounded multiple times in Israel as Iran launched its own attacks.

Drone and rocket fire from the Iran-back Hezbollah militant group continued unabated. Since entering the fighting, the group has fired rockets into northern Israel around the clock each day, disrupting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

Iran also kept up the pressure on its Gulf Arab neighbors. Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry saying it had destroyed at least eight drones in the kingdom’s oil-rich Eastern Province, and missile alert sirens sounding in Bahrain.

Kuwait said it shot down multiple drones but the General Civil Aviation Authority said one hit a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, sparking a fire that sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky.

Iran’s death toll has passed 1,500, its Health Ministry has said. Israel says 20 people have died in the war, including two soldiers in Lebanon. At least 13 U.S. military members have been killed, along with more than a dozen civilians in the occupied West Bank and Gulf Arab states.

Authorities say more than 1,000 people have died in Lebanon, where Israel has targeted the Iran-linked Hezbollah militant group, which has also fired on Israel.

In Iraq, where Iranian-supported militant groups have also entered the conflict, 80 members of the security forces have been killed, a top security adviser, Khalid al-Yaqoubi, said.

The news of potential negotiations drove down the price of oil. Brent crude oil, the international standard, has neared $120 a barrel during the conflict but was trading below $100 Wednesday. It is still up around 35% from the start of the war.

Reports of efforts to end fighting also buoyed stock markets, with the S&P 500 rising just over 1% in early trading.

Economists and leaders have warned of far-reaching effects if energy prices remain high — from rising prices on food and other basics to higher rates for mortgages and auto loans.

A big driver of the spike in the oil price has been Iran’s stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has allowed a small number of ships through the strait, but has said no ships from the U.S., Israel or countries seen as linked to them can pass.

Asked in the interview with India Today whether Iran was charging ships for passage, Baghaei, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said “absolutely.” He did not elaborate.

Madhani reported from Washington, Rising from Bangkok and Ahmed from Islamabad. Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo, Natalie Melzer in Tel Aviv, Israel, Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad, and E. Eduardo Castillo in Beijing contributed to this report.

Dog salon workers take cover with the dogs in a bomb shelter as air raid sirens warn of incoming Iranian missile strikes in Ramat Gan, Israel, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Smoke rises from Kuwait international airport after a drone strike on fuel storage in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Friday, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo)

Smoke rises from Kuwait international airport after a drone strike on fuel storage in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Friday, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo)

Firefighters look on as volunteers and first responders inspect the rubble and search for victims at a residential building hit in an overnight strike during the U.S.-Israeli military campaign in Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province, northwestern Iran, Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Matin Hashemi)

First responders inspect a destroyed car at the site of a residential building hit in an overnight strike during the U.S.-Israeli military campaign in Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province, northwestern Iran, Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Matin Hashemi)