Paula Moltzan kicks off the season with her first career victory over the Sölden giant

Sensations galore for the resumption of the Alpine Ski World Cup. Under the snow in October in the Austrian resort of Sölden, an American raised her arms, but not necessarily the one we expected. Best time of the first round the defending champion of the general classification of the World Cup, Mikaela Shiffrin, missed. She finished seventh, more than eight tenths of a second behind the star of the day, Paula Moltzan.

The skier won the first victory of her career, at the age of 32, this Saturday, October 24. She won by the smallest of margins, a hundredth of a second over the Albanian Lara Colturi, close to a big blow at only 19 years old. The German Emma Aicher, one of Shiffrin's main rivals for the crystal globe, achieved a good third place (+ 0"52) in an event in which she is not a specialist.

We once thought that Mikaela Shiffrin was going to resume the alpine ski season as she had finished the previous one: at the top. The track star had set the best time in the first round, despite a gust of wind which penalized him at the start of the course. The weather was less friendly to the Colorado skier for her second pass, with no sunshine or visibility. The result is clear: 27th time of the second round, and the hope of a 111th career victory gone.

Paula Moltzan, second for the Sölden giant a year earlier, knew how to take advantage of it. Starting very strongly, she was able to hang on until the end to beat Lara Colturi by a hair. Colturi will console herself with an equal career best result, a great promise as she has included former French skier Johan Clarey, Olympic downhill vice-champion at the 2022 Olympic Games, into her coaching staff. Behind her, Emma Aicher takes her first giant podium, aiming to dislodge Mikaela Shiffrin from the World Cup throne.

The favorite of the day, the Austrian Julia Scheib who had flown through training, fell in the first round. The only Frenchwoman entered, Doriane Escané, did not obtain her place in the second round, finishing only 32nd.