World Cup GS Leader Julia Scheib Ready for Super-G Challenge
Julia Scheib will bring her extraordinary giant slalom skiing and winning form into this Sunday’s super-G in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria. Leading the giant slalom discipline standings after three victories and two second-place finishes this season, the emerging Austrian star will test her fierce turning skills at higher speeds — and potentially move closer to overall World Cup podium contention.
Loves Super-G
“I absolutely love to ski super-G!” Scheib told Ski Racing Media in an exclusive interview last season. Adding super-G as a World Cup discipline has long been part of her plan.
However, earning a place on Austria’s powerful World Cup super-G team is no simple step, especially for a skier coming from the technical group, she explained in December 2024. Past injuries also made it difficult for her to maintain two disciplines for a period of time.
But Scheib is one who works persistently toward her goals. Her approach in recent seasons was to race European Cup and FIS super-G events to improve her FIS points while continuing to compete in World Cup giant slalom. Step by step, she built experience in speed events and steadily lowered her points.
Last Season vs. Now
At the end of last season, Scheib earned the opportunity to start in two World Cup super-G races in La Thuile, Italy, finishing 26th and 35th.
“Last year, I wasn’t well prepared for the super-G and would’ve liked to have skied better than I did,” she recently told Austrian broadcaster ORF Sport in an early-January interview.
She understands that progress takes time, but she feels far more confident heading into Sunday’s race.
“This time, it looks better; I feel more confident on the longer skis. Nevertheless, my expectations aren’t that high because I still lack race kilometers in this discipline,” Scheib told ORF Sport.
Her goal for her first super-G of the season is measured and realistic: to ski well, stand solid on her skis, and execute the line “reasonably well.”
Even though she knows the Zauchensee slope from training, she does not expect a home-course advantage. “Many of the other skiers have raced here before.”
Still, Scheib remains confident.
“Zauchensee is very technical with some cool turns, so that should suit me,” she told ORF Sport.
The Time Is Right
Balancing training across multiple disciplines can be challenging for World Cup racers. Scheib believes the timing is right to expand her program, largely because of her current giant slalom form.
“Because I feel very comfortable in giant slalom and no longer need huge training volumes — a few days before the race are enough. I get back into the mode quickly, and that works out. So it’s much easier for me now to squeeze in the occasional speed day,” she told ORF Sport.
Her starting position also works in her favor. Scheib is currently ranked 53rd on the super-G World Cup start list (WCSL). However, with more than 500 points overall on the current WCSL, she will start just after the top 30 racers in Sunday’s super-G.
Scheib and fellow Austrians Ricarda Haaser and Stephanie Brunner prepared for the Zauchensee race in Saalbach-Hinterglemm.
“Zauchensee is an advantage for the technical skiers. All three are courageous and possess the technical skills to perform well,” Austrian women’s head coach Roland Assinger said, according to Krone Zeitung on Jan. 9.
Not a Super-G Newcomer
Scheib already enjoyed success in super-G as a junior. She won the silver medal at the 2016 Youth Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer/Hafjell, Norway.
Two years later, she claimed another super-G silver medal at the 2019 FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Val di Fassa, Italy.
In the European Cup, she podiumed three times in super-G between 2018 and 2020. She also placed 28th in her World Cup super-G debut at Garmisch-Partenkirchen in January 2021.
Skiing Well Enough
Scheib has taken the giant slalom World Cup by storm this season. She offered an early warning with a third-place finish in the Sölden opener in October 2024. In previous seasons, she often showed winning speed within individual runs but struggled to put together two clean runs.
That has changed.
Scheib has found confidence in her skiing, realizing she does not need to do anything extraordinary to match the world’s best. That realization has brought stability — and momentum.
In December 2024, Scheib told Ski Racing Media:
“For the next years, the giant slalom globe is the biggest goal; to be the best in the whole season in giant slalom. I think that is the highest award you can get for a skier. To become an Olympic champion or to win the gold medal at the World Championships is so special. [But] the globe is honoring the best during the whole season, so that’s the highest goal.”
The Greatest Goal
Now, just one year later, Scheib leads the giant slalom standings and sits fourth overall in the World Cup. She is the only skier inside the top 13 of the women’s overall standings competing in a single discipline.
Adding super-G to her World Cup program would significantly increase her chances of fighting for an overall podium — and, over time, the ultimate prize: the World Cup overall title.
Sunday’s super-G will provide an early indication of whether Scheib’s strengthened confidence and giant slalom dominance can transfer to speed — and how far that ambition might ultimately carry her.
Julia’s Story
During an extensive December 2024 interview with Ski Racing Media, Scheib shared her path into the World Cup elite — from joyful childhood skiing with her parents at a small home ski area to battling injuries, illness, and setbacks along the way.
Her full story, including advice for young skiers, can be read here: Julia Scheib: Overcoming Challenges to Compete with the Giant Slalom Elite
About the Author: Bente Bjørnsen Sherlock
