SÖLDEN, Austria (AP) — Austrian skier Julia Scheib took a big first-run lead and Mikaela Shiffrin was looming 1.69 seconds behind in sixth in the season-opening women’s World Cup giant slalom Saturday.
Scheib surprised the pre-race favorites with a near-perfect race line in the steep middle section of the course before finishing 1.28 seconds ahead of the field, led by U.S. ski team’s Paula Moltzan in second.
Youngsters Zrinka Ljutic and Lara Colturi were within four-hundredths behind Moltzan in third and fourth, respectively.
“I was a bit surprised (about the lead) as it felt almost too easy,” Scheib told Austrian TV after her run.
Scheib is yet to win a World Cup race but finished third in the season opener last year. The Austrian women’s team has not won a GS since Eva-Maria Brem triumphed in a race in Slovakia in March 2016.
Shiffrin started only 20th due to a drop in the GS rankings following her injury layoff last season. The American was 0.27 faster than Scheib at the first split time before losing a few tenths at every other check point, but she seemed relieved after crossing the finish.
“There are always some things to improve but I was determined, I was fighting. I felt like I was just doing a really solid job. I am not satisfied, but happy,” said Shiffrin, who is the 2018 Olympic GS champion and holds the women’s record of 22 World Cup wins in the discipline.
Shiffrin suffered from lingering post-traumatic stress disorder following a crash at her home giant slalom in Killington, Vermont, in November, where she sustained a puncture wound and severe damage to her oblique muscles, and said she was not back at 100 percent yet.
“I am getting closer. The final step is adding the race mentality,” Shiffrin said. “I did a great job on the first run and I am trying to improve step by step through the season.”
Sofia Goggia fell after she hooked a gate with her right arm and spun around, but the 2018 Olympic downhill champion got up quickly and seemed unhurt.
However, her Italian teammate Lara Della Mea had a nasty crash after her right ski came off, but there was no immediate update on potential injuries.
The Italian team had already lost last year’s race winner and overall champion Federica Brignone and former GS champion Marta Bassino through injuries.
The race started in sunny, but windy conditions on top of the hill, though clouds soon moved in after the first few starters while the wind slowed.
The second run was scheduled for later Saturday.
Eric Willemsen on X: https://x.com/eWilmedia
AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing
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