FIS Alpine Ski World Cup 2024/25: Federica Brignone capitalises on Mikaela Shiffrin errors to take Sölden giant slalom
Shiffrin looked set for her 98th World Cup win, but mistakes on the bottom half of her second run saw her finish down in fifth in the first race of the new season.
Alpine Skiing
Federica Brignone took victory in the opening race of the 2024/25 Alpine Skiing FIS World Cup in Sölden, Austria on Saturday (26 October).
Mikaela Shiffrin led after the first run in the giant slalom contest, and looked on course for her 98th World Cup win, but mistakes on the bottom half of the second run saw her slip to fifth.
Alice Robinson was second, with home skier Julia Scheib rising from 14th after the first run to secure her first World Cup podium finish in third.
With Petra Vlhova still recovering from a long-term knee injury, and reigning giant slalom and overall World Cup champion Lara Gut-Behrami pulling out after the warm-up, Shiffrin had a chance to gain an early lead over her main rivals.
Double Olympic gold medallist Shiffrin was first to go and skied the bottom half of the course superbly to stop the clock in 1:05.82. Robinson, wearing start bib two, was her nearest challenger at 0.22 behind.
Scheib and USA's Katie Hensien were the big movers on the second run. Hensien was 17th on the first run with only Scheib able to overtake her before the top three began their final descents.
They were finally toppled by 2020 overall World Cup winner Brignone of Italy who, despite being almost a second slower than the pair on her second run, went into the lead by more than a second thanks to an excellent bottom section.
Robinson gained time on the Italian at the top of the course but, like many of the later starters, struggled on the lower half, with the New Zealander ending up 0.17 adrift.
Shiffrin had a healthy advantage on the top section, but time ebbed away on the bottom half and she ended up 1.21 seconds off the pace in fifth, behind team-mate Hensien in fourth**,** as Brignone secured her 28th World Cup win. Shiffrin was the second slowest of the 28 skiers to complete the second run.
The women return to World Cup action in three weeks with Vlhova set to be missing again for the Levi slalom in Finland on 16 November.
Sölden, 2024/25 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup: Results from women's giant slalom, 26 October 2024 (top 10):
- Federica Brignone (ITA) 2:16.05
- Alice Robinson (NZL) +0.17
- Julia Scheib (AUT) +1.08
- Katie Hensien (USA) +1.11
- Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) +1.21
- Thea Louise Stjernesund (NOR) +1.38
- Nina O'Brien (USA) +1.43
- Katharina Liensberger (AUT) +1.49
- Mina Fuerst Holtmann (NOR) +1.54
- Lena Duerr (GER) +1.56