Team USA’s Paula Moltzan Wins Giant Slalom at Sölden, Austria, by 0.01 Seconds in Dramatic World Cup Opener

Paula Moltzan opened the 2026–27 Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season with the first World Cup victory of her career, edging Lara Colturi by just 0.01 seconds in Saturday’s women’s giant slalom in Sölden, Austria. Germany’s Emma Aicher completed the podium in third, earning the first World Cup giant slalom podium of her career.

In a race shaped by changing visibility, snowfall and a deteriorating course, Moltzan climbed from fifth after the first run to take the win in her 149th World Cup start. It was also her first race on Van Deer-Red Bull Sports equipment, making her the first woman to win a World Cup race on the brand’s skis.

Colturi, racing on new HEAD equipment after switching from Blizzard, came agonisingly close to her own breakthrough victory. Aicher, meanwhile, moved up from ninth to claim third in a race that repeatedly turned the standings upside down. It marked Aicher’s first GS podium

“It feels like a fairytale right now — pretty unreal — and I think it’ll take a minute to settle in.”

— Paula Moltzan

Scheib Crashes as Hector and Shiffrin Set the Early Pace

New Zealand’s Alice Robinson opened the race with bib 1, setting an early benchmark of 1:08.63. But the defending Sölden and giant slalom season champion, Julia Scheib, was the next major talking point. Racing in front of a huge home crowd, the Austrian looked exceptionally fast. With a new coach and the green light to attack, Scheib built a lead of 0.30 seconds before extending it to 0.64 seconds. Then, on a left-footed turn just past the halfway mark, she lost control, was catapulted into the air and crashed out of the course.

It was a nasty-looking fall, but Scheib appeared to escape without an obvious serious injury. She recorded a DNF, ending her bid to defend last year’s Sölden victory.

Sweden’s Sara Hector, starting third, delivered an outstanding run. Building speed through successive turns, she finished 1.22 seconds ahead of Robinson, setting a formidable target for the rest of the field. Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund could not match Hector’s pace and finished more than a second behind her.

Then came Mikaela Shiffrin. “You’ve got this,” coach Karin Harjo told the American over the team radio. Shiffrin responded with a superb run. She was 0.30 seconds behind Hector at the top, but found her rhythm as the course opened up. By halfway, she had moved ahead of the Swede and held on to take the lead by 0.14 seconds in 1:07.27.

It was a statement performance from Shiffrin as she begins a season with a greater focus on giant slalom and super-G. Her first-run lead put her in an excellent position to chase her first giant slalom victory in almost three years.

Team USA’s Moltzan followed with a strong run of her own, finishing 0.59 seconds behind Shiffrin. Switzerland’s Camille Rast was faster through the upper section but could not maintain that speed all the way down, slotting into third.

Canada’s Britt Richardson produced another standout performance. The 23-year-old finished fourth after the first run, squeezing between Rast and Moltzan and putting herself in contention for a maiden World Cup podium.

Colturi, starting tenth, finished sixth after a formidable run from the 19-year-old. Germany’s Aicher qualified in ninth, while Slovakia’s Petra Vlhova finished the first run in 11th on her return to World Cup racing after two years away from the circuit.

Sweden’s Estelle Alphand also impressed, finishing the first run in seventh after starting 24th. Alphand, whose mother is Swedish and father is a French former ski racer, made the most of a strong performance to put herself in contention for a top result.

Team USA had further reasons to celebrate, with AJ Hurt qualifying for the second run in 14th and Elisabeth Bocock in 17th.

Second Run Turns Into a Battle Against the Conditions

The second run began with Switzerland’s Vanessa Kasper setting a combined time of 2:17.61. Poland’s Maryna Gasienica-Daniel promptly lowered the benchmark by more than 1.5 seconds, finishing in 2:15.94. Gasienica-Daniel looked increasingly comfortable in the leader’s seat as racer after racer failed to dislodge her. Team USA’s Nina O’Brien and Elisabeth Bocock were among those who lost time on the lower section and could not take the lead.

Italy’s Asja Zenere finally broke through. Starting 15th in the second run, she held on to nearly all her advantage before making a major mistake over a roller in the middle section, losing 0.61 seconds. She recovered her momentum through the bottom of the course and still crossed the line 0.40 seconds ahead of Gasienica-Daniel. Zenere’s combined time of 2:15.54 became the next target, and it would take another seven racers before she was finally overtaken.

Snowfall and poor visibility made the course increasingly difficult. The flat light caught out several experienced racers, including Robinson, who had been unable to build on her first-run position, and Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutic. Team USA’s Hurt also struggled to find time in the conditions.

Then came Aicher. The German had qualified ninth and faced a course where the wind was picking up and visibility was changing. She stayed composed, however, and found speed on the bottom section where many others had struggled. Aicher crossed the finish line 0.20 seconds ahead of Zenere to take the provisional lead.

With eight racers still to start, a position on the podium was far from secure. Norway’s Mina Fürst Holtmann lost time almost immediately on the rutted course and finished well behind Aicher. Alphand, who had impressed in the first run, also fell short of the German’s time.

Colturi was next, and the young Albanian had nearly half a second in hand over Aicher from the first run. She built her advantage to more than a second through the middle section before surrendering some of it on the way down. It was enough. Colturi finished 0.51 seconds ahead of Aicher, taking the provisional lead with a combined time of 2:14.83. It was an exceptional run under difficult conditions, and the 19-year-old had put herself within touching distance of her first World Cup giant slalom victory.

Moltzan Holds On by the Narrowest Margin

Moltzan started the second run with a 0.19-second advantage over Colturi. She attacked the course, increasing her lead to 0.64 seconds by the middle section before giving some of it back near the finish. It was still enough. Moltzan crossed the line just 0.01 seconds ahead of Colturi, setting a combined time of 2:14.82.

The top four from the first run were still to come, but Moltzan had guaranteed herself at least a top 5. 

Richardson struggled to maintain her speed and made a major mistake that nearly sent her flying. She recovered without missing the gate, but the error cost her more than two seconds, dropping the Canadian to 27th overall.

Rast, third after the first run, also struggled on the rutted course. She clipped the gates and began losing time early, surrendering more than half a second by the middle section. She finished behind Zenere, eventually taking sixth.

That left Hector and Shiffrin as the final two challengers and meant a podium for Moltzan.

Hector held nearly half a second over Moltzan from the first run, but the Swede struggled with the ruts and poor visibility. Her advantage disappeared as she fought to keep her skis moving cleanly down the course. Hector finished in 2:15.45, 0.63 seconds behind Moltzan and just behind Aicher, leaving her fourth.

Shiffrin was the final skier with a chance to take the lead. She had a 0.59-second advantage over Moltzan after the first run, but the worsening conditions proved costly. The American lost time throughout the course and was 0.71 seconds behind Moltzan by the middle section. She could not recover, finishing seventh in 2:15.65.

Moltzan’s smile could probably be seen across the finish area — her first victory was confirmed. Shiffrin was not one to steal her thunder. “It’s a day to celebrate Paula,” Shiffrin said afterward. “She just kicked it right off with a bang this year. It’s history for women’s racing and the most meaningful day for her.”

A Breakthrough Victory and a Promising Start to the Season

Moltzan’s first World Cup win came after 10 previous World Cup podiums and years of chasing the top step. She also delivered an immediate result for her new equipment sponsor, Van Deer-Red Bull Sports, on her first competitive outing with the brand. “I’ve been working a really long time for my first victory, but I never would have expected it would have happened in the first race on new material,” Moltzan said. “It just proves that we’re doing something right.”

Her approach to the second run was deliberately aggressive, even as the conditions deteriorated. “In the second run, I knew I had to send it,” she said. “A lot of people tend to back off when it gets dark, but for me, I just want to push harder. It’s an opportunity to be brave and take a chance.”

Colturi’s second place was equally notable. Having switched to HEAD skis for the new season, she produced the third-fastest second run and came within one hundredth of a second of victory. Aicher’s third place was another breakthrough, marking her first World Cup podium in giant slalom, traditionally one of her weaker disciplines.

“Surprising, to be honest,” Aicher said. “I have always struggled here, so it’s very nice to know that it’s possible.”

Vlhova finished 23rd in her first World Cup race in 1,008 days, a significant milestone after her long recovery from injury. Shiffrin, Hector, Rast and Scheib will all have reason to look ahead to the next race, while Richardson’s first-run performance showed she can challenge the established names when she puts two runs together.

The final standings show just how unpredictable the season opener can be. Moltzan won by the smallest possible margin, Colturi claimed second, and Aicher moved six places up the order to take third. The top four skiers from run 1 all failed to podium — a wild result, really.

With equipment changes, returning stars and emerging talent all in the mix, the opening race has offered an early reminder that the 2026–27 season may not follow the expected script.