Petra Vlhová starts her first World Cup slalom since January 2024 on Saturday in Levi, Finland, returning to the Arctic Circle after a three-year break, Sportnet reported.
The opening run begins at 10:00, with the second run following three hours later, according to Sportnet. Television broadcasts are scheduled on JOJ Šport, ČT Sport, Eurosport 1, and ORF 1, alongside a text online feed on Sportnet.sk.
Vlhová draws start number 15, skiing right after Sweden’s Cornelia Öhlund, while Germany’s Emma Aicher opens the race and Albania’s Lara Colturi takes bib number two, Sportnet reported.
Mikaela Shiffrin is absent from the starting gate after securing nine victories in Levi, where no other woman has won a slalom since 2016.
“Levi is a special place for me, I feel here like in my living room. I have always done well here, I felt good and the hill suited me too,” Vlhová told JOJ Šport.
JOJ Šport Hosts Pre-Race Coverage with Slavo Jurko and Janka Vlhová
JOJ Šport launches its pre-race studio coverage at 9:30, with Slavo Jurko hosting and Andrej Fuksa calling the action, zive.aktuality.sk reported. Janka Wollnerová joins the broadcast as a guest and co-commentator for the women’s event.
“It’s nice to be back here in Levi, because I have wonderful memories from here. I am in the same hotel as in the times when I was winning, so I associate only wonderful memories with this place and Levi has a special place for me,” Vlhová told JOJ Šport.
She enters the slope in a different physical condition than in past seasons following her recovery from a knee injury sustained in January 2024, finishing 23rd in the Sölden giant slalom in October.
Former Finnish skier Tanja Poutiainenová told Sportnet that Vlhová is not the primary favorite but could surprise the field. Youth coach Rastislav Mažgút told Pravda that Vlhová is skiing more directly despite her training break and ranks her inside his personal top-five tip.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Levi Slalom
The first run gets underway at 10:00, and the second run starts at 13:00 on Saturday, according to Sportnet. JOJ Šport, ČT Sport, Eurosport 1, and ORF 1 carry the live broadcast, while JOJ Šport streams the event online via JOJ play for subscribers, zive.aktuality.sk reported. Mikaela Shiffrin and Petra Vlhová are the only athletes who have won the women’s slalom in Levi since 2016, Sportnet reported.