Featured image: Mikaela Shiffrin on her way to the fastest time in Sölden’s opening run. Photo: GEPA pictures.
Mikaela Shiffrin took the first-run lead in the Sölden women’s giant slalom, combining clean skiing on the steep pitch with speed across the lower flats. The American clocked 1:07.27, leading Sara Hector by 0.14 seconds and Camille Rast by 0.37.
Snow delayed the season opener on the Rettenbach glacier, where the first-run course, set by Norway’s Kai Grønningsæther, rewarded racers who kept their skis running through the grabbier surface. Wind affected the upper section, while a bump on the lower flats unsettled several racers and cost them speed.
Before Shiffrin’s start, head coach Karin Harjo kept her team radio message focused on visibility, surface conditions and encouragement.
“Mikaela, the whole pitch almost to the finish is in the sun. The surface is great. You got this,” Harjo said.
Shiffrin built speed out of the start and settled into her rhythm before attacking the breakover. She stayed connected through the steep section, linking turns without excessive movement. A low, aerodynamic position helped her preserve momentum across the flats and through the finish, where she celebrated with a brief dance.
Her own course report highlighted the importance of maintaining flow: “The most important thing is linking the turns because there’s quite some distance.”
That connection was also what pleased her afterward. “It felt really nice,” Shiffrin said. “I was really feeling good on the pitch. So that was quite exciting to feel like this.”
The performance brought reassurance after weather disrupted her preparation heading into the opener.
“It’s been a little bit challenging to get the right preparation in this last month or two months. We’ve been battling with the weather a little bit.”
Being fast immediately added to the relief of getting the season underway. “There’s always a feeling of relief after the first run of the season and especially to be fast on the first run was very nice and I felt good,” she said.
Still, Shiffrin was ready to approach the second run as a fresh challenge.
“I think it’ll be a totally different feeling on the second run. So now it’s reset the mind and a new opportunity.”
Hector’s clean run keeps the pressure on
Sara Hector looked relaxed and confident, delivering a clean run to finish just 0.14 seconds behind Shiffrin. The Swede appeared comfortable on her skis, linking turns efficiently and showing the benefits of her preparation heading into the opener.
Her transition off the steep pitch was particularly strong. Hector carried speed onto the flatter terrain and maintained it to the finish, putting herself firmly in contention.
Rast moves into third
Camille Rast started strongly but lost time through the middle section approaching the breakover. She recovered with solid skiing on the steeps, staying composed through the demanding pitch.
The Swiss racer opened her position over the lower bump and surrendered speed on the flats, but her run was enough for third and will be looking to fight second run to get on that top step.
Sölden Women’s Giant Slalom – Top Five After First Run
- Mikaela Shiffrin 🇺🇸 (USA) – Bib 5 – 1:07.27
- Sara Hector 🇸🇪 (SWE) – Bib 3 – +0.14
- Camille Rast 🇨🇭 (SUI) – Bib 7 – +0.37
- Britt Richardson 🇨🇦 (CAN) – Bib 8 – +0.53
- Paula Moltzan 🇺🇸 (USA) – Bib 6 – +0.59
Scheib’s Title Defense Starts with an Early Exit
Julia Scheib’s race ended abruptly after she got late and low on the line, loading heavy pressure onto her ski. When it released, she was thrown into a hard highside crash, cutting short a fast opening effort.
The defending Sölden winner and reigning World Cup GS champion had posted the fastest intermediate splits to that point before going out. It was a disappointing start on the glacier where she claimed her first World Cup victory a year ago, but her early pace was encouraging. She will look to put this opening-race setback behind her and carry that speed into her next start.
Moltzan Fifth as Five U.S. Women Advance to Sölden’s Second Run
The American women opened the season with two racers in the top five, three in the top 15 and five qualifying for the second run. Mikaela Shiffrin led the field, followed by Paula Moltzan in fifth, AJ Hurt in 14th, Elisabeth Bocock in 17th and Nina O’Brien in 22nd.
Moltzan accelerated quickly out of the start in her World Cup debut on her new ski setup. She looked strong and committed, but a late line near the bottom cost her momentum, leaving her 0.59 seconds behind Shiffrin.
Hurt paired a fast start with a compact, aerodynamic position. She lost time when she fell late on several turns but put herself in position to move up in the second run.
Elisabeth Bocock delivered a solid effort as the course became bumpier and more rutted. She moved into some turns too early, leaving her late and low on the line and costing her momentum coming off the pitch onto the flats.
O’Brien attacked the upper section with confidence but struggled to maintain the same precision through the pitch, losing speed before the flatter terrain.
Katie Hensien narrowly missed the top 30 after struggling to settle into her rhythm. World Cup debutant Katie Rowekamp also finished just outside qualification, an encouraging first appearance for the 17-year-old and a glimpse of what’s to come.
Mary Bocock made a major mistake just before the flats, losing significant speed at a critical transition. Her skis appeared to catch rather than release cleanly, interrupting her flow onto the lower section and leaving her outside the top 30.
Richardson Fourth to Lead Canada into Run Two
Britt Richardson led Canada’s opening effort in Sölden, finishing fourth, just 0.53 seconds behind Shiffrin and 0.16 seconds off the top three.
Richardson opened quickly before losing some precision through the transition onto the steep pitch. She recovered well, carrying speed off the pitch and through the finish. Looking increasingly confident at this level, she put herself firmly in podium contention, with a cleaner upper transition offering an opportunity to gain time in run two.
Cassidy Gray narrowly missed qualification, finishing 31st. She showed strong skiing, but a few mistakes left her low on the line and cost her valuable time throughout the course, putting her just outside the top-30 cutoff.
Justine Lamontagne, the NCAA national champion from Montana State University, also missed qualification for the second run, while Arianne Forget did not finish her opening run.
Comebacks, Swedish Depth and Speed Skiers Stand Out
Petra Vlhová’s return was a welcome sight. In her first World Cup appearance since her January 2024 knee injury, she delivered a controlled run to finish 11th. She took a higher line in places and left time in several sections, but completed an important first step back.
Sweden’s depth was impressive, with two racers in the top seven and four in the top 20. Sara Hector led the way in second, while Estelle Alphand delivered one of the standout attacks of the morning, charging from bib 24 into seventh. Alphand carried momentum off the pitch and maintained that speed through the lower section. Hanna Aronsson Elfman finished 18th from bib 46, and Hilma Lövblom rounded out the Swedish group in 20th.
It was also encouraging to see speed specialists taking on World Cup GS. Emma Aicher looked relaxed and balanced on her way to ninth, using her touch on the snow to carry speed through the transitions. Her German teammate Kira Weidle-Winkelmann, who has been skiing fast in training alongside Aicher, finished 21st from bib 32 to earn a second run.
Their performances added another dimension to the opener. Hopefully, more speed skiers will continue lining up for GS, bringing their feel for the snow and ability to carry momentum to the technical events throughout the season.
Gritsch Steps Up for Austria on Home Snow
Franziska Gritsch provided a bright spot for Austria, finishing 15th after a solid opening run on her new Atomic setup. After racing extensively on the Nor-Am circuit last season to improve her world ranking, Gritsch looked comfortable on her skis and put herself in position to move up in run two. Representing her home mountain and sponsor, Sölden, she delivered in front of the home crowd.
It was a tougher start for her teammates. Defending champion Julia Scheib crashed out despite showing winning pace at the early splits, while Stephanie Brunner finished 38th and missed the second run. Racing at home brings expectation, and both will look to put the disappointment behind them and return stronger at their next start.
High Bib Impact – Bib 31+
- Hanna Aronsson Elfman 🇸🇪 (SWE) – Bib 46 – 18th (+1.77)
- Kira Weidle-Winkelmann 🇩🇪 (GER) – Bib 32 – 21st (+1.93)
- Alice Pazzaglia 🇮🇹 (ITA) – Bib 41 – 23rd (+2.00)
- Stefanie Grob 🇨🇭 (SUI) – Bib 48 – Tied 25th (+2.17)
- Simone Wild 🇨🇭 (SUI) – Bib 42 – 28th (+2.40)
First Run top thirty results
Run Analysis of the Leaders and North American Qualifiers
About the Author: Katie Twible
