Austrian skier Julia Scheib showcased her dominance in the women’s World Cup giant slalom season opener held in Solden, Austria, thwarting American skier Paula Moltzan’s bid for her first career victory. Moltzan led a strong performance by the U.S. ski team, with Mikaela Shiffrin finishing fourth and Nina O’Brien sixth, along with four more Americans securing top 20 positions.
Scheib capitalized on her significant 1.28-second lead after the first run to secure a 0.58-second victory, marking the Austrian women’s team’s first World Cup GS triumph since Eva-Maria Brem’s win in Slovakia back in March 2016. Lara Gut-Behrami claimed the third spot, trailing Scheib by 1.11 seconds, while Shiffrin finished 1.42 seconds behind.
Expressing her relief, Scheib mentioned, “A load of thousands of kilos has dropped off my shoulders, I was so relieved to see the green light.” This victory marked Scheib’s first World Cup win, following her third-place finish in the previous season opener.
Moltzan shared her excitement, stating, “I knew I was skiing well coming into the race, but skiing well in training and skiing well in the race are two different aspects of the sport.” Scheib surprised the favorites with a flawless first run, showcasing a near-perfect race line in the challenging middle section of the course.
Shiffrin, who started 20th due to a drop in the GS rankings from her injury layoff last season, displayed a remarkable performance, climbing to sixth after the first run and securing two more positions in the final run. Reflecting on her performance, Shiffrin remarked, “There are always some things to improve but I was determined, I was fighting. I felt like I was just doing a really solid job. I am not satisfied, but happy.”
Canadian skier Val Grenier commenced her season with an 11th-place finish. Despite facing lingering post-traumatic stress disorder following a crash at her home giant slalom event in Killington, Vermont, Shiffrin acknowledged that she was still on the path to full recovery, emphasizing the importance of regaining her race mentality.
In the men’s category, a giant slalom event is set to take place on the same hill the following day, continuing the skiing action in Solden, Austria.