Austrian Julia Scheib Wins Women's Alpine Ski World Cup Giant Slalom Opener

Julia Scheib of Austria won the season-opening women's World Cup giant slalom in Soelden, ending a decade-long drought for Austrian women in the event and marking her first career World Cup victory. Scheib took an early lead with a strong first run and maintained it despite pressure from competitors, finishing 0.58 seconds ahead of American Paula Moltzan, who achieved her best giant slalom finish and second place. Mikaela Shiffrin, starting 20th due to ranking drops from injury, fought back to finish fourth, showing progress in her return from injury but still working toward full race mentality. Swiss skier Lara Gut-Behrami, a Super-G Olympic champion, took third place. The race highlighted a strong performance by the U.S. team, with six Americans qualifying for the second run, the most in nearly 30 years. This event marks the first step toward the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, with the competition drawing a large home crowd and significant attention.