SOELDEN, Austria — In a dramatic start to the Alpine ski season, American veteran Paula Moltzan captured her first career World Cup victory on Saturday, edging out the competition in the giant slalom at the Austrian resort of Soelden. The 32-year-old’s breakthrough came as her teammate and pre-race favorite, Mikaela Shiffrin, surrendered a first-leg lead to finish outside the podium under deteriorating weather conditions.
Moltzan, who entered the second leg in fifth place after the morning run, navigated the challenging conditions on the Rettenbach glacier slope to finish with a combined time that bested Italian-born Lara Colturi, who represents Albania, by a mere 0.01 seconds. Germany’s Emma Aicher finished in third place to round out the podium.
For Moltzan, a native of Minnesota and a 2026 Olympic team combined bronze medallist, the win marks a significant milestone in a long career that has seen 11 podium finishes, including six second-place results. One of those second-place finishes came in Soelden exactly one year ago.
“It feels like a fairytale right now,” Moltzan said following the race. “It doesn’t really feel real but we’ve put in a lot of hard work this summer developing the ski and it feels like this is kind of a pinnacle, that it’s paying off and we did all the right things. I can’t imagine a better start.”
The victory also served as a major milestone for Van Deer skis, the equipment brand founded by retired Austrian legend Marcel Hirscher. Moltzan became the first woman to secure a World Cup win using the brand’s equipment, validating the developmental work she highlighted as a key factor in her success.
While Moltzan celebrated, the afternoon was one of frustration for Mikaela Shiffrin. The 31-year-old superstar held a 0.14-second lead after the first run, followed by Sweden’s Sara Hector and Switzerland’s Camille Rast. However, as the light faded and snow began to fall during the second leg, the course conditions became difficult for the later starters. Shiffrin struggled with the flat light and grey skies, ultimately sliding to seventh place.
Shiffrin, who is pursuing a record-extending 111th World Cup win, has signaled a strategic shift this season. Having not won a giant slalom since December 2023, she is placing more emphasis on that discipline and the super-G this year, while planning to compete in fewer slalom events.
The race in Soelden also featured the highly anticipated return of Slovakian star Petra Vlhova. The 2021 overall World Cup winner and 2022 Olympic slalom champion had been sidelined by injury since January 2024. Vlhova finished 23rd in her comeback appearance.
The field was missing Italian standout Federica Brignone, the reigning Olympic champion in giant slalom and super-G, who is currently recovering from surgery performed in August. Additionally, last year’s Soelden winner, Julia Scheib of Austria, did not finish the first run.
