Shiffrin Finishes Seventh in Season-Opening Giant Slalom as Moltzan Claims First Win

Moltzan Secures Historic Victory in Sölden

The Alpine ski racing season opened on Saturday with a women's giant slalom event in Sölden, Austria, resulting in a historic milestone for Paula Moltzan. The 32-year-old American skier claimed her first career World Cup victory, marking a significant achievement in her professional career. Moltzan’s win was followed by Lara Colturi of Albania, who placed second. Germany’s Emma Aicher completed the podium with a third-place finish. Reflecting on the outcome, Moltzan described her victory as feeling "like a fairy tale right now, pretty unreal," according to reports from the event.

Shiffrin Falls From Lead in Second Run

American skier Mikaela Shiffrin finished seventh in the same competition. Shiffrin had led the field after the first run on the Rettenbach glacier but dropped to seventh place following her second run. Shiffrin has characterized this current campaign as an "exploration season," a strategy that involves reducing her participation in slalom races to focus more heavily on giant slalom and super-G disciplines. The result adds to Shiffrin’s recent record in the giant slalom category. She has not won a giant slalom race since December 2023. Her last victory in super-G dates back to 2022. Shiffrin remains the record holder for women’s giant slalom victories with 22 career wins in that discipline. Her overall career statistics include 73 slalom wins and 110 total World Cup victories. The competition took place at a venue where Shiffrin has previously faced challenges. She endured crashes in downhill events at Cortina in early 2024 and suffered another crash in giant slalom at Killington ten months later.

Men's Competition Scheduled

The Sölden venue is set to host additional racing shortly after the women's event. A men's giant slalom is scheduled to be held at Sölden on Sunday, continuing the opening round of the World Cup season.