Julia Scheib after winning the race and season GS title / GEPA pictures
Julia Scheib delivered the biggest performance of her career in Åre on Saturday, winning the ninth women’s giant slalom of the 2025–26 FIS Ski World Cup season and securing the discipline crystal globe.
The Austrian attacked both runs on the Störtloppsbacken course and crossed the line in a combined time of 2:22.41 to claim her fifth giant slalom victory of the season. Paula Moltzan of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team finished second, 0.36 seconds behind, while New Zealand’s Alice Robinson completed the podium in third.
Scheib’s victory secured the 2026 World Cup giant slalom title, delivering the race win and the discipline globe on the same afternoon.
Top 5 — Åre Giant Slalom
1st 🇦🇹 Julia Scheib, AUT — 2:22.41
2nd 🇺🇸 Paula Moltzan, USA — +0.36
3rd 🇳🇿 Alice Robinson, NZL — +0.75
4th 🇩🇪 Emma Aicher, GER — +1.74
5th 🇺🇸 Mikaela Shiffrin, USA — +2.22
Robinson and Moltzan raise the level
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New Zealand’s Alice Robinson raised the intensity of the race late in the second run.
Third fastest in the opening run, Robinson attacked the course aggressively and carried strong speed through the lower sections to cross the line 0.99 seconds into the lead, putting herself firmly into the podium battle.
Paula Moltzan of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team responded immediately.
The American skied with power and control through the technical sections and crossed the line 0.39 seconds ahead of Robinson, securing her fourth World Cup giant slalom podium of the season. Moltzan also posted the third-fastest second run of the race.
“I had a tough Olympics, so I’m happy to be back here in Åre,” Moltzan said. “I’m happy to be back on the podium. It feels really nice.”
Moltzan credited her strong opening run for putting herself in position to fight for the podium.
“I thought I executed the first run really well,” she said. “To have a good race here you really need the first run to come together. I had a good first run and then held it together in the second. It was a little scrappy, but I’m happy.”
Moltzan also shared in the emotional moment when Julia Scheib secured the giant slalom globe.
“Julia is a really good friend of mine, so I’m actually really happy for her,” Moltzan said. “Earlier this season she was really down after a tough race and people were already talking about the globe. I told her I believed she could still do it, so I’m really proud of her.”
Rast’s race ends after leading the first run
Camille Rast entered the second run in the strongest position to win the race after leading the first run.
The Swiss skier started the final run with a narrow 0.11-second advantage over Scheib and immediately showed her speed, posting the fastest time in the opening sector.
But the run ended abruptly in the second sector when Rast skied out, ending her challenge and guaranteeing Scheib’s victory.
The DNF was a heartbreaking finish for the Swiss skier after putting herself in position to win, while also confirming Scheib’s race victory and the 2026 giant slalom globe.
Scheib delivers under pressure to secure the globe
Scheib entered the race leading the giant slalom standings and delivered when the pressure was highest.
The Austrian attacked the second run with power and aggression, posting the fourth-fastest run of the afternoon to move into the lead with only first-run leader Camille Rast remaining.
When Rast skied out on the second run, Scheib’s victory — and the discipline title — were secured.
“It feels very special,” Scheib said after winning both the race and the giant slalom globe. “Winning the giant slalom globe has been a goal of mine for many years, and to achieve it today means a lot to me.”
2025–26 World Cup Giant Slalom Standings (after Åre, 9 of 10 races)
1st 🇦🇹 Julia Scheib, AUT — 660 pts
2nd 🇨🇭 Camille Rast, SUI — −189
3rd 🇸🇪 Sara Hector, SWE — −231
4th 🇺🇸 Mikaela Shiffrin, USA — −262
5th 🇺🇸 Paula Moltzan, USA — −268
Scheib’s victory capped a remarkable season in which she established herself as the most consistent giant slalom skier on the World Cup tour.
“To be honest, I didn’t expect such a strong season,” she said. “To be so consistent is not easy because we had many different conditions. I don’t know what to say — this is amazing.”
Aicher gains ground in the overall race
Germany’s Emma Aicher delivered one of her strongest giant slalom races at a critical moment in the season.
The 22-year-old began the second run with a 1.17-second advantage from the first run. Much of that margin disappeared through the upper sectors, but Aicher found speed in the final stretch and crossed the line 0.48 seconds ahead of Mikaela Shiffrin to take the lead at that point in the race.
The result allowed Aicher to gain valuable points in the overall World Cup standings as she continues to challenge Shiffrin late in the season.
Shiffrin climbs the leaderboard
Mikaela Shiffrin of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team responded with a strong second run after making a costly mistake near the bottom of her first run.
The American had to recover to finish the opening run but remained in the race and attacked the second run to climb the standings, eventually finishing fifth and collecting valuable points in the overall World Cup battle.
“It was a little bit of cross-country in there and I’m not very good at that,” Shiffrin said with a smile. “I’m better with gravity.”
Despite the mistake, Shiffrin said the race was still a positive step.
“It was actually a really positive day,” she said. “In giant slalom it’s so important to be willing to take the speed, and I felt a lot of positive things. The mistake was a bit of a problem, but at least I could fight in the second run and work my way a little higher.”
Shiffrin also said the mentality she carried into the race will be important for the next event.
“When I have the preparation to really push my skiing down the hill, it works pretty well,” she said. “So tomorrow I’ll try to make the pace a little quicker, have dancing feet, and go for it.”
Åre remains a meaningful stop on the Americans’ World Cup tour. It was here that Shiffrin earned the first World Cup victory of her career in a slalom in December 2012, launching what would become one of the most successful careers in alpine skiing history.
“This is a really special place for me,” Shiffrin said. “I’m always happy to be here.”
Nyberg shines in World Cup debut
One of the standout performances of the race came from Sweden’s Sophie Nyberg.
Competing in her first World Cup start, 🇸🇪 Nyberg finished 14th in front of the home crowd in Åre.
Starting first in the second run, the Swedish rookie delivered the second-fastest run of the afternoon and climbed 16 positions on the leaderboard to score her first World Cup points.
Her teammate 🇸🇪 Hilma Lövblom recorded the fastest second run of the race, surging up the standings by 12 positions.
Stifel U.S. Ski Team results
The Stifel U.S. Ski Team placed four athletes in the top 15, led by Paula Moltzan’s podium performance.
- 2nd 🇺🇸 Paula Moltzan, Bib 4, USA, 1994, +0.36
- 5th 🇺🇸 Mikaela Shiffrin, Bib 6, USA, 1995, Atomic, +2.22
- 9th 🇺🇸 A.J. Hurt, Bib 21, USA, 2000, Head, +2.59
- 15th 🇺🇸 Nina O’Brien, Bib 14, USA, 1997, +3.54
All four Americans qualified for the World Cup Finals giant slalom in Saalbach.
In the season standings, Shiffrin sits fourth, Moltzan fifth, O’Brien 13th, and Hurt 21st, placing each inside the top-25 cutoff required to race at the GS Finals.
Alpine Canada results
Canada will also have two athletes competing in the giant slalom at the World Cup GS Finals.
In the season standings, Valérie Grenier qualified ninth, while Britt Richardson secured the 14th position despite her second-run DNF in Åre.
The final qualifying spot for the discipline went to 🇸🇪 Estelle Alphand, who claimed the 25th and final position in the giant slalom standings.
Race Results
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Second Run Analysis: Top Three and Other Top 30 North Americans
About the Author: Peter Lange
