'Like a fairytale': Moltzan takes Sölden opener for her first World Cup win

New skis, new Paula Moltzan (USA/Van Deer).

In an incredible series of firsts to begin the season, the 32-year-old American won her maiden World Cup race in the Sölden Giant Slalom on Saturday in her 149th start — and her first attempt on Van Deer equipment as the first woman to use that brand at the elite level.

In varying second run conditions that alternated between snowfall and sunshine, Moltzan came from fifth after the first run to take a lead that held up over Lara Colturi (ALB/Head) by the narrowest margin in ski racing — 0.01 seconds.

When the top four from the first run all failed to overtake her, including halfway leader Mikaela Shiffrin (USA/Atomic), Moltzan's first victory was confirmed, while Colturi agonizingly missed out on what would have been hers.

"It feels like a fairytale right now," Moltzan said moments after her victory. "Pretty unreal and I think it'll take a minute to settle in.

"I've been working a really long time for my first victory, but I never would have expected it would have happened in the first race on new material. It just proves that we're doing something right."

After a solid first run despite a small blemish in the closeout, Moltzan was in the chase, 0.59 seconds behind teammate Shiffrin.

As conditions worsened for the final skiers in the second run and some were unable to rise to the challenge, Moltzan doubled down on her aggressive strategy.

"In the second run, I knew I had to send it," she said. "A lot of people tend to back off when it gets dark, but for me, I just want to push harder.

"It's an opportunity to be brave and take a chance."

She took that chance on the steep pitch and led Colturi's splits comfortably at the halfway stage of the run. Despite trailing off on the bottom section, she did just enough to take a lead that turned into a long-awaited victory after 10 previous World Cup podiums.

One skier earlier, Colturi, also on new skis after switching to Head for this season, didn't like her podium chances when she stood at the start gate for the second run after finishing the morning session in sixth place.

"I was just standing there and I saw that was a bit windy and snowing and I thought, 'Oh shit'," she said. "But I just said to myself to have fun because the first run I wasn't pushing.

"The second run I just went for it. It was really tough, super low visibility and it was bumpy."

Despite her misgivings and the conditions, Colturi skied sensationally, clocking the third-best time of the field to lead by more than half a second over provisional leader Emma Aicher (GER/Head), who eventually held on for third.

It was all-rounder Aicher's first World Cup podium in Giant Slalom, which has traditionally been her weak link — but no longer.

"Surprising, to be honest," the always calm 22-year-old German said after moving up from ninth after the first run. "I have always struggled here (in Sölden), so it's very nice to know that it's possible."

What also seemed possible for much of the day was that Shiffrin's "experimental season", with a Giant Slalom and Super G focus and less attention towards Slalom, would get off to the best possible start.

In her bid to win her first Giant Slalom race in nearly three years, the 31-year-old superstar overcame some of the worst wind conditions at the top of the first run to storm into the lead.

As the final skier on the Rettenbach glacier in worsening conditions for the second run, however, Shiffrin couldn't find the right rhythm and lost time all the way down the mountain to finish seventh.

"It was tough on the second run," she admitted. "It was getting darker and darker, and I handled this the best I could with some errors."

While she didn't get to enjoy what would have been World Cup victory No.111, Shiffrin was quick to turn the attention to her teammate's debut triumph.

"It's a day to celebrate Paula," Shiffrin said. "She just kicked it right off with a bang this year. It's history for women's racing and the most meaningful day for her."

The other top skiers from the first run, Sara Hector (SWE/Head) and Camille Rast (SUI/Head), also couldn't hang on to their podium positions, finishing fourth and sixth, respectively.

It was also a tough day for defending World Cup Giant Slalom champion Julia Scheib (AUT/Rossignol), winner of this race a year ago.

After posting the fastest intermediate splits of the field in the first two sectors of her first run, Scheib was pitched into the air and out of the course on a left-footed turn just past the halfway mark to register a DNF.

There was happier news for Petra Vlhova (SVK/Rossignol), who marked her return to World Cup ski racing after 1,008 days out with injury by finishing 23rd.

The 2022 Olympic Slalom champion finished an impressive first run in 11th place, but was dealt some of the worst visibility in the second run and slipped down the order.

Vlhova will undoubtedly look forward to better results as the season unfolds, as will Shiffrin, Scheib and several other top skiers.

But for Paula Moltzan, the party is just getting started.

Click here for full results from Saturday's race.