Sölden (Austria) (AFP) – Austria’s Julia Scheib bagged a first-ever World Cup victory by winning the season-opening women’s giant slalom in Soelden on Saturday, with US star Mikaela Shiffrin finishing fourth. Scheib had led after the first run on the Rettenbach glacier and held her nerve for a combined winning time of 2min 16.51sec, finishing 0.58sec ahead of American Paula Moltzan in second.
“This is crazy really. At home, Soelden, first race of the new season, perfect start,” said Scheib, having dubbed her first leg “the perfect run”. Swiss veteran Lara Gut-Behrami rounded out the podium, 1.11sec off the pace. Shiffrin, who sustained an abdominal puncture wound last November that saw her miss most of the season, missed out on a podium place by 0.31sec.
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“I felt like my mind and my body were connected today with the race and the nerves and the feeling I had,” said Shiffrin. “It’s a huge step. I mean, I’m fighting for points, fighting to stay in the top 30, fighting to do well when it’s dark and bumpy on a long course in a race. Every single part of today was such a monumental step. So, we’ll analyse it and keep moving forward. But I’m happy with that. I’m so happy.”
American Nina O’Brien, 15th fastest in the first leg, laid down the fastest run in the second to hold the lead as eight skiers failed to dislodge her. Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund eventually managed to do that as racing moved into the business end of action. Shiffrin, with a record 101 World Cup victories to her name, saw her narrow advantage quickly dissipate before regaining her poise to snatch the lead, with just five racers to come.
Gut-Behrami, 34, in the final season of a storied career, was next down, bettering Shiffrin by 0.16sec. Albania’s Italy-born Lara Colturi and Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutic failed to bother the leader. That left Moltzan and Scheib in a face-off in front of a record total of 15,900 spectators. The American did not disappoint, again laying down the second fastest run to race into the lead.
Scheib, however, maintained her cool and made the most of her first-leg advantage to take her maiden World Cup victory at the age of 27 on her 45th GS start. It was a first home triumph in Soelden in 23 years. It was also a first giant slalom victory on the circuit for an Austrian woman since Eva-Maria Brem in March 2016. Marco Odermatt and his Swiss team will take to the slopes on Sunday in the men’s giant slalom.
© 2024 AFP
