Austrian skier Julia Scheib showcased her dominance in the women’s World Cup giant slalom season opener in Solden, Austria, preventing American skier Paula Moltzan from securing her first career victory. Moltzan led a strong performance by the U.S. ski team, with Mikaela Shiffrin finishing fourth and Nina O’Brien in sixth place, alongside four more American skiers in the top 20.
Scheib extended her substantial lead from the first run by 1.28 seconds to secure a victory margin of 0.58, marking the Austrian women’s team’s first World Cup GS win since March 2016. Lara Gut-Behrami claimed third place, trailing by 1.11, while Shiffrin finished 1.42 seconds behind.
Expressing her relief, Scheib shared, “A weight has been lifted off my shoulders, I was so relieved to see the green light.” Despite her victory, Scheib admitted feeling more comfortable during the first run compared to the challenging second run.
Moltzan expressed her enthusiasm about achieving her career-best result, emphasizing the distinction between training and race performance. Scheib surprised the favorites with a near-flawless race line in the steep middle section during the opening run, finishing ahead of Moltzan by 1.28 seconds.
Shiffrin, the 2018 Olympic GS champion, started in 20th place due to a drop in GS rankings following a previous injury season. She climbed to sixth after the first run and further improved to fourth, describing her performance as solid but with room for enhancement.
Canadian skier Val Grenier commenced her season with an 11th-place finish. Shiffrin, still recovering from a past injury, mentioned her ongoing battle with post-traumatic stress disorder and the importance of regaining her racing mentality.
The race saw Sofia Goggia’s fall in the first run after hooking a gate, but she managed to recover quickly. The Italian team faced setbacks with injuries to last year’s winner Federica Brignone and former GS champion Marta Bassino. A men’s giant slalom event on the same hill was scheduled for the following day.
