Podium / GEPA pictures
Today belonged to Sara Hector. After setting the pace in the first run, Hector delivered a composed and controlled second run to hold her lead and claim victory in the women’s Giant Slalom. The win marks her fourth GS podium of the season and the eighth Giant Slalom victory of her World Cup career, reinforcing her consistency and strength in the discipline. She has been chasing this win all season, and with skiing of that quality, it was rewarding to see her finally step onto the top of the podium.
Hector’s skiing once again showcased her greatest assets: exceptional connection to the snow and a patient approach that allows her to maintain natural speed throughout the course without ever forcing the ski. She never presses the panic button. While she gave up a small amount of time in the middle section of the second run, Hector carried strong speed out of the steeps and was fastest in the final sector, sealing the win by 0.18 seconds over Paula Moltzan.
After the race, Hector credited both the atmosphere and the depth of the field for making the victory special. “The crowd here was amazing. I’m so happy to get the win, but you can see how many strong girls there are and how many great turns were made today. You always have to keep working, but crossing the finish line faster in the end is a really cool feeling,” Hector said.
Špindlerův Mlýn Women’s Giant Slalom- Top Finishers
- 1st — 🇸🇪 Sara Hector (SWE) — YOB 1992 — 🥇
- 2nd — 🇺🇸 Paula Moltzan (USA) — YOB 1994 — +0.18
- 3rd — 🇺🇸 Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) — YOB 1995- +.23
- 4th — 🇨🇭 Camille Rast (SUI) — YOB 1999- +.33
- 5th — 🇺🇸 Nina O’Brien (USA) — YOB 1997- +1.80
The American Podium Performance
Today belonged to Paula Moltzan and Mikaela Shiffrin, who delivered two of the most inspiring performances of the day and put the United States back on the Giant Slalom podium in a big way.
Moltzan produced an absolutely crushing second run, charging down the course and immediately lighting up the green. Her skiing was flawless, powerful, and tactically dialed, especially through the rhythm change in the demanding middle section. The adjustments she made from the first run were clear and decisive. Prepared, committed, and confident, Moltzan stormed to the fastest second run of the day, vaulting herself into second place overall. It was a statement performance from an athlete who has too often been labeled as “just” a slalom skier. Today, Paula Moltzan proved once again that she is also an unbelievable Giant Slalom skier.
After the race, Moltzan reflected on her approach and the strength of the team:
“I just stuck to my plan and made as as many clean turns as I could the whole way down. I knew I had time to make up, so I pushed as hard as I could. Right now our GS team is really fun to be a part of—super competitive, but supportive—and I think it shows the speed we’re bringing into the Olympics.”
Shiffrin continues to impress with every start. The progress she has made from where she was a year ago is impossible to ignore, and her confidence continues to build race by race. Her second run was smooth, controlled, and consistent, though it did not carry quite the same level of raw speed and attack that Moltzan brought to the hill. Still, it was an outstanding performance that capped off a strong comeback and secured her first Giant Slalom podium of the season.
More than the result itself, it was another meaningful step forward for Shiffrin, and a powerful reminder of her resilience and work ethic. Watching both Moltzan and Shiffrin stand on the podium today was a truly inspiring moment and a testament to the depth and strength of American women’s Giant Slalom skiing.
After the race, Shiffrin reflected on what made the podium so special: “It’s been over two years since I was last on a GS podium, and crossing the finish line and seeing an American top three is something I’ve never experienced before. Finding that balance between competing for yourself and being genuinely happy for your teammates is rare—but when it works, it’s the most beautiful thing to be a part of.”
A Spectacular Day of Giant Slalom Racing in Špindlerův Mlýn
What a day of racing in Špindlerův Mlýn. The women’s Giant Slalom delivered a thrilling display of precision, power, and technical mastery, with turns so well executed it was hard not to stay on the edge of your seat. The overall level of Giant Slalom skiing this season continues to impress, and performances like these only add to the excitement heading toward the Olympic Games.
It was great to see World Cup racing return to the Czech Republic, where the energy was high and the surface delivered exactly what athletes hope for: a hard, consistent slope that rewarded confidence and clean technique. From the opening pitch, the course demanded respect. Several athletes struggled early, failing to fully commit from the start on a section that featured meaningful turns right out of the gate.
As the run developed, the challenge evolved. Fatigue began to set in, the tempo and rhythm subtly shifted, and the middle section became decisive. Many skiers fought those changes rather than adjusting to them, leading to small timing errors that quickly turned into significant time loss. Those who stayed adaptable and tactically aware were able to manage the rhythm shift and separate themselves on a course that required full focus from start to finish.
North American Strength Shines in Run Two
Nina O’Brien delivered one of the standout performances of the day, charging to a career best fifth place with an impressive second run and rounding out the top five with three Americans inside the top five. Her tactical adjustments from Run One were immediately evident. Skiing aggressively from the top, O’Brien lit up the green early and carried her speed with purpose all the way to the finish. What stood out most was her composure. Her second run showcased calm, tactically aggressive, and connected skiing, allowing her to remain error free while staying engaged with the snow and managing her speed efficiently from top to bottom, a key step forward from the mistakes that have previously cost her speed and results.
“I’m so pumped for all of us today. A double podium and four in the top eight is just so cool. I’m really happy with a lot of the turns I put down and psyched with a new personal best result. It feels great to get some revenge after my crash on Tuesday. The conditions were fantastic today, so I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s slalom.”- Nina O’Brien
AJ Hurt also put together a strong second run, finishing in eighth place and continuing her return to form in Giant Slalom. After missing time early in the season due to a hip injury, Hurt’s confidence is steadily building. Her speed was evident in key sections, particularly in the lower part of the course where she did an excellent job cutting the line back down after earlier mistakes, carrying speed through the finish and showing encouraging progress toward consistency.
Canada’s Britt Richardson delivered a hot second run to move into the top ten in ninth place. She was aggressive and error free in the opening section, made a mistake in the middle, but recovered well and kept her speed intact. From that point on, Richardson skied cleanly and with intent, maintaining enough pace to move ahead and cap off a strong result.
Cassidy Gray finished the day in 14th place, backing up her solid first run with another consistent performance. While a few late, low line choices cost her some speed, the overall effort showed progress and stability. Two solid runs to the finish should serve as a confidence boost as she continues building momentum heading toward the Olympic Games.
Breakthrough Performances and Fine Margins in Run Two
It was an unforgettable day for Swiss youngster Sue Piller, who delivered a breakout performance to finish sixth, the best World Cup result of her career. The 2005-born athlete had previously recorded a best finish of 27th in Kronplatz, but has been building strong momentum on the Europa Cup circuit, including a Giant Slalom victory in Sestriere, Italy. Her result in Špindlerův Mlýn was a major step forward and a clear sign of a young skier finding confidence at the World Cup level and proving she belongs among the best.
The second run also brought heartbreak at the top of the leaderboard. Julia Scheib, who had been firmly in the fight for another victory, suffered a DNF after pushing the limits in the second run. She skied an excellent upper section, lighting up the green early, but lost her outside ski as she transitioned from right to left. Moving away from the outside ski just a touch too early on the slick surface proved costly, a reminder of how unforgiving the conditions were when margins became razor thin.
Camille Rast was also unable to hold onto a podium position after a strong first run. She started the second run aggressively, showing green splits from the top, but nearly went down in the middle section where the course tightened and demanded a shift in tactics. Without enough speed coming off the pitch and with several small mistakes adding up, Rast slipped back to fourth place. On a day when the second run required near perfection, those minor errors were enough to keep her off the podium.
Looking Ahead to Cortina and the Olympic Stage
Attention now turns to Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, where the next women’s Giant Slalom will take place at the Olympic Games. With qualification windows closing, many teams will finalize their Giant Slalom rosters following today’s race, and athletes who have secured their Olympic spots will shift focus toward preparation, recovery, and fine tuning ahead of the biggest event of the season.
In the World Cup Giant Slalom standings, Julia Scheib continues to hold the overall lead with 560 points, but today’s DNF tightened the race considerably. Camille Rast sits second with 471 points, while Sara Hector moved closer into third with 429 points, keeping the title battle very much alive. With momentum shifting and margins narrowing, the Olympic Giant Slalom in Cortina promises to be wide open.
The question now is who will rise to the occasion when it matters most and claim Olympic gold on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
Race Results
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Second Run Analysis: Top Three and Other Top 30 North Americans
About the Author: Katie Twible
