SÖLDEN, Austria, October 25, 2025
An authoritative first run despite the winds
At precisely 10 a.m. Saturday morning, under variable skies and in conditions of strong wind on the heights of the Rettenbach glacier, Julia Scheib launched from bib 8 to clock a blistering time of 1:07.80. Her powerful, committed descent immediately set the bar at a level no one would surpass.
The course set by Swedish coach Walter Girardi proved particularly selective. Attacking from the start on the relatively flat section of the "Gletschertisch," Scheib excelled especially in the steep wall of the "Eisfall" where the pitch reaches 65%, before maintaining her speed on the flat final section of the "Elefantentränke" where so many races are decided.
Paula Moltzan, with bib 4, delivered a clean, fast run to position herself in second place at 1.28, confirming the excellent form of the American team. Young Croatian Zrinka Ljutić (bib 3), one of the technical revelations of the circuit, finished third at 1.32, once again demonstrating her immense potential.
Mikaela Shiffrin, wearing bib 20 after missing most of last season following a serious abdominal injury, delivered a solid first run despite some imprecision in the upper section. Compensating with a strong middle section and powerful finish, the American was in sixth position. "I felt good. My preparation before this race was solid, I'm happy with my skiing right now. The only task is to bring more intensity or more aggression, try to find time somewhere," she confided between runs, visibly determined to claim her 98th World Cup victory.
Special mention for the American team which placed six skiers in the top 30, their best collective performance in giant slalom in nearly three decades. Nina O'Brien (bib 11), 15th in the first run, AJ Hurt 18th, and young Elisabeth Bocock qualified for the second run.
An afternoon of dramatic twists
At 1 p.m., for the second run set by Slovenian coach Alek Glebov, conditions had changed markedly. The glacier, exposed to early afternoon sun and battered by repeated athlete inspections, presented softer, wetter snow than in the morning. These spring-like conditions, typical of late October Sölden races, would reshuffle the cards.
Nina O'Brien opened proceedings with an explosive time of 1:07.85, the fastest second run, climbing from 15th to 6th overall. A warning shot for the favorites. Lara Gut-Behrami, starting third in reverse order with bib 6, delivered a solid run in 1:08.28 to take provisional lead in the combined standings.
Paula Moltzan, with bib 4, then confirmed her excellent form of the day. Her clean, aggressive second run (1:08.01, second-fastest time) propelled her into the lead with more than half a second's advantage over Gut-Behrami. The Americans controlled the leaderboard.
Then came Julia Scheib's turn. The pressure was maximal: 16,000 compatriots holding their breath, the hopes of an entire nation on her shoulders, a first World Cup victory within reach. And Scheib, despite the stakes, simply skied. Not the fastest time (1:08.71), but amply sufficient to preserve her morning advantage and claim the first victory of her career. Eyes brimming with tears, she later spoke about the importance of this result for the entire Austrian team, denied a women's giant slalom podium since December 2019.
Shiffrin falters, US team shines nonetheless
Then came Mikaela Shiffrin, chasing her 98th victory. The American began her second run with determination, and in the upper section, her skiing looked promising. But midway through, on the lower portion where the snow had softened considerably, Shiffrin lost her "timing," in her own words. A hesitation in direction choice, nothing spectacular, but enough to lose all the intensity she was trying to build.
With the 27th time in the second run out of 28 finishers (1:08.44), she tumbled to 4th place overall, 1.42 behind Scheib. The frustration was palpable for the pre-injury discipline dominator. "I tried to ski aggressively, but I lost my timing in the lower part. It's frustrating, but it's the first race. There are many more races to come," she analyzed lucidly.
Despite this disappointment, the American team can celebrate a historic collective success with six skiers qualified for the second run in giant slalom—unprecedented in nearly three decades. The next generation is establishing itself around Moltzan and O'Brien, a good omen for the rest of the season.
A promising, cosmopolitan top 10
Behind the podium, 18-year-old Albanian Lara Colturi (7th), daughter of former Italian champion Daniela Ceccarelli, confirmed her status as a future star with the best performance by an Albanian skier in World Cup history. New Zealander Alice Robinson (8th), Swede Sara Hector (9th), and Croatian Zrinka Ljutić (10th) completed a particularly high-level and cosmopolitan top 10.
Norwegian Thea Louise Stjernesund (5th) secured excellent points for her team at the season's start, confirming the depth of Norwegian women's skiing.
Rendezvous Sunday for the men
The World Cup caravan resumes already on Sunday on this same Rettenbach glacier with the men's giant slalom, where Norwegians and Austrians will attempt to confirm their favorite status. For the women, next rendezvous is in Levi, Finland, on November 16th for the season's first slalom—a discipline where Shiffrin can quickly redeem herself.
But today, it's Austria celebrating. In the streets of Sölden and on the slopes of the Rettenbach, the Austrian party will be in full swing tonight. Julia Scheib has given her country the finest gift to open this Olympic season: a long-awaited home victory.