Every season, the first races give us a glimpse. Not just to us, the fans, but also to the athletes themselves, their crews, and their coaches.
As Marco Odermatt put it on Sunday: “We are all nervous before the first races of the season.”
They all know how hard they trained, they compare their times — but racing is different. You don’t win races by training. You win them by racing.
So what did this year’s prequel to the season show us?
The Men’s GS Competition Will Be Tough… But Familiar
Marco Odermatt (SUI) won the first men’s giant slalom of the season — no surprise there. Still, he had to fight for it. Not as much as at the end of last season, when his GS form wavered (at least by his standards), but Marco Schwarz (AUT) pushed him hard.
Odermatt said in one of his summer interviews that, as an all-rounder, he feels on the summit — meaning that physically he can still do it, but his GS dominance may eventually start to decline—good news for Schwarz, another all-rounder, who collects points across slalom, GS, and super-G. Schwarz is a superb racer, one of the finest of his Austrian generation, though injuries have plagued his career. Yet he always claws his way back. Let’s see how the two Marcos will challenge each other this season.
Shiffrin Is Back
Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) had a tough year last season. After her abdominal injury in Killington in November 2024, she was sidelined for almost the entire season. She returned during the World Championships, pulling a miracle out of her hat to help her friend and teammate Breezy Johnson claim gold in the team event.
Though she quickly found her slalom rhythm again, her giant slalom was far from the Shiffrin we know. It was, after all, in GS where she suffered that terrible injury — and it showed.
- Related post: Shiffrin Out Due to an Unusual Injury
In Sölden, however, Shiffrin had a solid, if slightly rusty, run. It was enough to show that the demon of Killington is gone. Shiffrin celebrated her fourth place as a victory — and it clearly meant a lot. With the Olympic Games approaching, we can hope for the best from the greatest skier of all time.
New and Old Names to Watch
Sölden always hints at who to follow in the season ahead. One such surprise was Julia Scheib (AUT), who claimed her first World Cup win. At 27, she’s been around for years, often mixing with the best, but her victory still came as a surprise — especially as she held her nerves and defended her lead after the first run.
Paula Moltzan (USA) is hardly a new name, but her superb form from last season seems to continue. The same goes for Nina O’Brien (USA); the American women’s squad looks ready to pick up where they left off.
The men’s GS brought few surprises. We know the names. But for the Austrian federation, it was pleasing to see three men — Marco Schwarz, Raphael Haaser, and Stefan Brennsteiner — among the top ten.
Veterans Won’t Give Up
It’s an Olympic season, and we can expect many veterans to hold onto their form until February. Some might have retired already if it weren’t for the chance to compete once more under the Olympic torch.
A good example is Alexis Pinturault (FRA), returning after the devastating injury he suffered in Kitzbühel last season. His run showed no nerves — just a bit of rust — and he might well be back among the best.
Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI) flirted with the idea of ending her career last year, but with the Olympics in sight, she’s clearly staying on. Her third place in Sölden says it all — retirement is the last thing on her mind.
Things Yet to Be Revealed
Sölden is a testing ground. The next race comes on November 15 — the real start of the season, at least for the slalom racers. Speed specialists and GS aces will have to wait until the end of November to compete. That gives them time to chase training hours and fine-tune their setups. When they reappear in a month, we might be in for surprises.
Some racers skipped Sölden altogether. A few speed specialists traditionally start here just to test equipment (like Vincent Kriechmayr of Austria), but most don’t. Marcel Hirscher (NED) postponed his comeback after the ACL injury from his last comeback season, waiting for the next GS race instead. Loïc Meillard (SUI), who was in superb form last year, looked a little rusty too — he’ll likely use the coming weeks to train hard and return stronger.
Sölden gave us a few hints — and many thrilling seconds. Now we just have to wait a little longer for the next exciting race. At least the World Cup world is finally turning again, and the news will start flowing.
