Paula Moltzan: GEPA Pictures
Women’s GS Preview: Who’s Racing, When, and How to Watch at the Saalbach World Championships
A True GS Challenge
The Women’s Giant Slalom at the Saalbach World Championships unfolds on Zwölferkogel, a course with varied terrain, featuring pitches, flatter sections, off-camber turns, and slope direction changes with a 398-meter vertical drop. The mix of rolling terrain, tight turns, and technical elements demands precise timing, power and courage.
Key Course Elements
Skiers must navigate long-radius turns, abrupt transitions, and critical flat sections requiring maximum speed. The “Ochsenritt” section is a strong test—a compression, a roll, a wave, and a flat stretch where maintaining speed is critical. Then, immediately after, a flatter middle section below the gondola mid-station tests a racer’s ability to generate speed before tackling the next set of technical turns. A final steep pitch at the bottom will test racers’ endurance and courage as they push for the finish into the massive stadium filled with thousands of Austrian fans.
Home Advantage
Austrian skiers, familiar with Zwölferkogel, may have an edge, but the world’s best are prepared to challenge them.
Race Day Awaits
On February 13, the battle for GS gold will demand aggression and precise timing. Who will conquer the mountain?
Last Year’s Highlights
At last season’s World Cup finals in Saalbach, Italian superstar Federica Brignone dominated, winning by 1.36 seconds over New Zealand’s Alice Robinson and 1.67 seconds ahead of Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund. Mikaela Shiffrin did not compete in GS at the finals.
The top North American was Stifel U.S. Ski Team’s Paula Moltzan, finishing sixth. Alpine Canada Alpin’s Britt Richardson placed 18th, while Moltzan’s teammate AJ Hurt took 20th. Only the top 25 GS skiers of the season qualify for the finals, with only the top 15 finishers earning World Cup points—Moltzan was the sole North American to do so.
Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami finished 10th but secured enough points to claim the season’s World Cup GS title.
Season Standings: Who’s on the Podiums?
This season’s five GS races have seen three standout winners: Italy’s Federica Brignone, Sweden’s Sara Hector, and New Zealand’s Alice Robinson. Brignone leads with two victories in Semmering and Sölden, cementing her status as a top contender for the Crystal Globe. Hector also boasts two wins, while Robinson claimed her first victory in Kronplatz and has three podiums this season.
Podiums This Season
- Sölden, Austria: Federica Brignone (ITA), Alice Robinson (NZL), Julia Scheib (AUT)
- Killington, USA: Sara Hector (SWE), Zrinka Ljutić (CRO), Camille Rast (SUI)
- Semmering, Austria: Federica Brignone (ITA), Sara Hector (SWE), Alice Robinson (NZL)
- Kranjska Gora, Slovenia: Sara Hector (SWE), Lara Colturi (ALB), Alice Robinson (NZL)
- Kronplatz, Italy: Alice Robinson (NZL), Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI), Paula Moltzan (USA)
Top 15 Breakdown: Countries Dominating GS
The 2024-25 giant slalom season has delivered thrilling competition. Robinson tops the GS standings with 300 points, just ahead of Hector (296), with Brignone in third (200).
The top three—Robinson (New Zealand), Hector (Sweden), and Brignone (Italy)—lead a diverse field. The U.S. has three skiers: Nina O’Brien (11th), Moltzan (7th), and Katie Hensien (14th). Austria’s Julia Scheib (10th) and Ricarda Haaser (15th) remain competitive, while Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami (8th) and Camille Rast (9th) add depth. Other top-15 contenders include Neja Dvornik (Slovenia – 13th), Zrinka Ljutić (Croatia – 5th), Lara Colturi (Albania – 4th), Thea Louise Stjernesund (Norway – 5th), and Valérie Grenier (Canada – 12th).
Three of the top five—Colturi (18), Ljutić (22), and Robinson (23)—are rising stars, while Hector (32) and Brignone (34) bring experience.
Top 15 Women’s GS World Cup Rankings
Click images to enlarge
One hundred and nine women from 51 nations are set to compete in the World Championship Giant Slalom in Saalbach on Thursday, February 13.
Paul Gut (SUI) set the first run, and Žan Špilar (USA) will set the second run.
North American Contenders: U.S. and Canadian Standouts
Stifel U.S. Ski Team
Paula Moltzan:
As the highest-ranked Stifel U.S. Ski Team GS skier at 7th, she achieved her first career GS podium this season, finishing third in the most recent World Cup GS in Kronplatz, Italy. Moltzan has competed in three previous World Championship GS races (2019, 2021, and 2023) but has yet to finish a championship GS race.
Nina O’Brien:
With a sensational comeback season after sitting out the 2023-24 season with an injury, she is ranked 11th for the season and has finished in the top 15 in all five GS races, with a season-best 6th place in Killington. She has recorded three top-10 finishes. Like Moltzan, she has competed in three previous World Championship GS races (2019, 2021, and 2023), with her best result coming in 2021 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, where she finished 10th.
Katie Hensien:
She’s currently ranked 14th in GS for the season. Her best finish this season was 4th in Sölden, and she has scored in all five World Cups this season. Like O’Brien, she is having a strong comeback after missing all of 2023-24. Previously, her best GS season resulted in just four points, but she already has 87 this season and is on track to qualify for her first World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho. This is only her second World Championships appearance; in 2023 in Méribel, France, she finished 23rd, outside the points.
AJ Hurt:
She’s currently ranked 23rd for the season in GS. Despite missing two races due to back pain, she has scored in all three GS events she has competed in, with two top-15 finishes. Her best result this season was 10th in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Hurt is also a proven podium finisher in GS, having placed third in Soldeu, Andorra, last season. She previously raced GS at the 2021 World Championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo but did not finish.
Alpine Canada Alpin Roster
Valérie Grenier:
She is currently ranked 12th but missed the season’s first race in Sölden because she was still recovering from a season-ending injury she suffered last season in Cortina d’Ampezzo. She has two World Cup GS victories, both in Kranjska Gora, and this season, she has finished three of the four she started, never placing below 9th. Her best result this season came in Semmering, Austria, where she finished fourth. Grenier has competed in three previous World Championship GS races (2017, 2021, and 2023), with her best result coming in 2023 in Méribel, France, where she finished 20th.
Britt Richardson:
At only 21, she’s already proven herself to be among the best. She is currently ranked 18th for the season and has finished four of the five GS races she started. Her best result this season came in the final GS before the championships in Kronplatz, Italy, where she placed 7th. Richardson has raced in one prior FIS Alpine Ski World Championship GS, finishing 21st in Méribel, France, in 2023.
Cassidy Gray:
She’s currently ranked 41st in the season’s GS standings. The 24-year-old has scored seven times in GS throughout her career. This season has been challenging, with Gray scoring once when she finished 20th in Semmering, Austria. She previously competed in one World Championship GS race, finishing 23rd in Cortina d’Ampezzo in 2021.
North American Women With 2025 World Cup GS Points
North American Women Racing GS
- Bib 7, Paula Moltzan, Stifel USST, University of Vermont, Ski and Snowboard Club, Vail, Oakley
- Bib 10, Nina O’Brien, Stifel USST, Burke Mountain Academy
- Bib 14, AJ Hurt, Stifel USST, Team Palisades Tahoe, HEAD
- Bib 16, Valérie Grenier, ACA, Club de Ski Mont Tremblant
- Bib 25, Britt Richardson, ACA, Calgary Alpine Racing Club, Burke Mountain, Academy, Oakley
- Bib 27, Katie Hensien, Stifel USST, University of Denver, Rowmark Ski Academy, SHRED
- Bib 32, Cassidy Gray, ACA, Team Panorama, Atomic
What to Watch For
The Women’s World Championship GS in Saalbach brings together the best racers of the season, setting the stage for an intense battle on Zwölferkogel. With a mix of rising stars and seasoned veterans, expect tight racing, aggressive tactics, and dramatic lead changes.
- Robinson vs. Hector vs. Brignone: The top three in the GS standings have all won this season, making them the primary favorites. Will Robinson extend her lead, or can Hector and Brignone challenge her for gold?
- North American Charge: Moltzan has proven she can earn the podium, and O’Brien’s consistency could push her into contention. Grenier, with her past GS wins, is another skier to watch.
- Young Challengers: Colturi (18), Ljutić (22), and Richardson (21) represent the next generation and could surprise.
- The Course Factor: The steep pitches, off-camber turns, and the challenging “Ochsenritt” section will test even the best technical skiers. Maintaining speed into the final steep pitch will be key to victory.
Who will rise to the occasion and claim GS gold?
How and When to Watch
The first run starts at 3:45 a.m. Eastern and 12:45 a.m. Pacific Time, with the second run following at 7:15 a.m. Eastern and 4:15 a.m. Pacific Time.
U.S. audiences can watch the race live or as a replay on Ski and Snowboard Live.
Sports enthusiasts in Canada can watch the World Cup on CBC Sports.
Daily Program and First Run Start List
Click the images to enlarge or download.
First Run Start List
About the Author: Peter Lange
