Austria’s Julia Scheib showcased her skiing prowess by dominating the women’s World Cup giant slalom opener in Solden, Austria. She clinched the victory, leaving American skier Paula Moltzan in second place. The U.S. ski team also performed well, with Mikaela Shiffrin coming in fourth and Nina O’Brien in sixth, accompanied by four more Americans in the top 20.
Scheib extended her lead from the first run by 1.28 seconds to secure a win margin of 0.58 seconds, marking the Austrian women’s team’s first World Cup GS victory since 2016. Lara Gut-Behrami finished third, trailing by 1.11 seconds, while Shiffrin followed 1.42 seconds behind.
Reflecting on her triumph, Scheib expressed relief at the win, stating, “A load of thousands of kilos has dropped off my shoulders, I was so relieved to see the green light.” This victory marked her first in a World Cup race, although she had secured third place in the previous season’s opener.
Moltzan, despite missing out on her first career win, expressed excitement at matching her career-best result. Shiffrin, who started in 20th place due to a drop in GS rankings from her previous season injury, showcased a commendable performance, finishing in sixth place and expressing determination to improve further.
Val Grenier from Canada began her season with an 11th-place finish, narrowly missing the top ten. Shiffrin, still recovering from a previous injury, mentioned that she was not yet at full capacity but was gradually regaining her race mentality.
In the men’s category, a giant slalom event is scheduled on the same hill for the following day.