What to know about the World Cup finals in alpine skiing

SUN VALLEY, Idaho — Mikaela Shiffrin is getting a head start on the Olympic season. First, though, she and the rest of the world's top skiers have to wrap up this one.

The World Cup finals, the last event on a circuit that began in late October, begin Saturday. While most of the attention will be on the season titles still to be decided, skiers also will be focusing on adding to their points total to improve or solidify their start positions for next year.

And for Shiffrin and the rest of the Americans, it's a chance to show the world that the U.S. team will be a formidable one at next year's Milan-Cortina Olympics.

Of the 14 skiers on the U.S. team for the finals, which run through March 27, six made the podium in a World Cup race or at the world championships. And that doesn't even include Lindsey Vonn, who ended a five-year retirement last fall after having a partial knee replacement.

But much of the focus will be on Shiffrin, who missed two months with a deep gash in her oblique muscles after crashing during the giant slalom race at the World Cup in Killington, Vermont. She's returned to form in slalom, claiming her 100th World Cup win at the World Cup in Sestriere, Italy, last month, and will be a favorite in the slalom final next Thursday.

GS has been trickier, however, with Shiffrin acknowledging she was dealing with PTSD from the crash. She didn't qualify for the GS race at the World Cup finals, but posted photos of herself training Thursday with the caption, "GS Season 2025/26 starts now… Buckle up, buttercup."

Here's all you need to know about the World Cup finals:

What are the World Cup finals?

The World Cup finals are the last event of the season, featuring the top men's and women's skiers in downhill, super-G, giant slalom and slalom races. Smaller than other World Cup races, only the top 25 men and women in each discipline qualified.

This is the last chance skiers have to earn points for the season standings, which also dictate starting list positions for next year.

Where are the World Cup finals being held?

All of the races will take place on the International Trail on Bald Mountain in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Have the World Cup finals been in the United States before?

This will be the fourth time the World Cup finals have been held in the United States since the event began in 1993. They were in Vail in 1994 and 1997, and in Aspen in 2017.

Which U.S. skiers qualified?

Shiffrin, who has more World Cup wins than any other skier in history, leads the U.S. contingent of 14 skiers. It’s a star-studded group, too. In addition to Shiffrin, who won three slalom World Cups and placed third in another, five of the other Americans had podium finishes this season.

Lauren Macuga won a super-G and got a silver in the downhill. Paula Moltzan won two giant slalom bronzes and Breezy Johnson won a downhill bronze. All three also medaled at the world championships, with Johnson winning the downhill and pairing with Shiffrin to win the team combined, Macuga claiming bronze in the super-G and Moltzan winning bronze in the slalom.

For the men, Jared Goldberg won a silver in super-G and Ryan Cochran-Siegle won a downhill bronze

What races are U.S. skiers doing?

The Americans will have at least one entrant in each race, with Macuga, Cochran-Siegle, Moltzan and Lindsey Vonn each qualifying for two races.

Here’s the lineup:

Women

Downhill: Johnson, Macuga, Vonn, Jacqueline Wiles

Super-G: Macuga, Vonn

Giant slalom: Moltzan, Katie Hensien, AJ Hurt, Nina O’Brien

Slalom: Shiffrin, Moltzan

Men

Downhill: Cochran-Siegle, Bryce Bennett

Super-G: Cochran-Siegle, Goldberg

Giant slalom: River Radamus

Slalom: Ben Ritchie

What’s the schedule?

Saturday, March 22

1 p.m. Men’s downhill

2:30 p.m. Women’s downhill

Sunday, March 23

1 p.m. Women’s super-G

2:30 p.m. Men’s super-G

Tuesday, March 25

11:30 a.m., first run, women’s giant slaom

2 p.m., second run, women’s giant slalom

Wednesday, March 26

11:30 a.m., first run, men’s giant slaom

2 p.m., second run, men’s giant slalom

Thursday, March 27

11 a.m., first run, women’s slalom

Noon, first run, men’s slalom

2 p.m., second run, women’s slalom

3 p.m., second run, men’s slalom

How can I watch the World Cup finals?

NBC will have live coverage of the World Cup finals across its various platforms, as well as a highlights show March 29. Outside+ is also streaming all of the races live.

Here's NBC's schedule:

Saturday, March 22

1 p.m. on NBC, Peacock

Sunday, March 23

1 p.m., NBC, Peacock

2:30 p.m. CNBC, Peacock

Tuesday, March 25

2 p.m. USA Network

Wednesday, March 26

2 p.m., USA Network

Thursday, March 27

2 p.m., USA Network

Saturday, March 29

2 p.m., NBC, Peacock

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mikaela Shiffrin, Lindsey Vonn big names in World Cup finals

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