American alpine skier Paula Moltzan achieved a milestone moment on Saturday, writing her name into the history books by becoming the oldest woman to claim a maiden Alpine skiing World Cup victory. In a heart-stopping season-opening giant slalom on the Rettenbach glacier in Sölden, Austria, Moltzan edged out Albania’s rising talent Lara Colturi by a microscopic margin of just one-hundredth of a second, capping off a thrilling start to the new international ski campaign.
Moltzan, who sat in fifth place following a strong opening run down the demanding Austrian course, delivered a masterclass in the afternoon session. Her superb second descent yielded a time of 1 minute, 7.86 seconds, bringing her combined winning time to 2 minutes, 14.82 seconds. That clinical run propelled her four places up the standings, setting a daunting benchmark that none of the remaining top contenders could manage.
Lara Colturi, who had been sitting in sixth place after the morning run, came agonizingly close to stealing the top step of the podium. The young Albanian racer crossed the finish line in a combined time of 2 minutes, 14.83 seconds, missing out on the gold medal by the narrowest possible statistical margin in FIS World Cup competition. Meanwhile, Germany’s Emma Aicher capped off an impressive surge of her own, climbing from ninth place after the first run to secure the final step of the podium, finishing 0.52 seconds behind the American winner.
"It feels like a fairy tale right now," Moltzan said in the finish area, visibly processing the magnitude of her achievement. "Pretty unreal and I think it will take a minute to settle in."
For Moltzan, the victory represents the ultimate culmination of a long, arduous, and resilient career journey. The Minnesota native made her debut on alpine skiing’s top-tier circuit all the way back in 2012. Her path was far from straightforward; a decade ago, she was dropped from the United States ski team, forcing her to navigate the rocky road of independent racing, collegiate skiing at the University of Vermont, and gradual rebuilding before clawing her way back to the global elite.
Over 13 seasons and 10 previous World Cup podium finishes where she had collected silver and bronze medals, the top step had frustratingly eluded her. Yet, her pedigree at the highest levels of the sport was never in doubt. Earlier in her career milestones and more recently, she demonstrated her elite standing by claiming a bronze medal in the team combined event at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
Saturday’s race also brought dramatic shifts among the rest of the elite field as visibility and course conditions shifted. Sweden’s Sara Hector, who had put down a blistering first run to sit in second position heading into the afternoon, slipped down the leaderboard to finish fourth, 0.63 seconds off Moltzan’s winning pace.
Meanwhile, Moltzan’s illustrious American teammate, Mikaela Shiffrin, encountered a difficult afternoon on the mountain. Shiffrin, who is chasing a record-extending 111th World Cup victory, had laid down the fastest time during the opening run. However, as increasingly thick fog rolled across the Sölden glacier and deteriorated course conditions challenged the racers, Shiffrin struggled to maintain her rhythm. A costly mistake that saw her slide wide on a sharp turn dropped her down to seventh place overall, finishing 0.83 seconds behind her victorious compatriot.
Shiffrin, who equaled the all-time women’s record with her remarkable sixth overall World Cup title in March, has characterized this new campaign as an "exploration season." The multi-time Olympic and World Champion has signaled plans to scale back her appearances in her signature slalom discipline to focus more deliberately on giant slalom and super-G. Despite holding the women’s record with 22 career World Cup victories in the giant slalom, Shiffrin has been searching for a win in the discipline since December 2023.
Beyond her physical performance on the mountain, Moltzan’s historic victory in Sölden is the immediate reward for a bold and high-stakes equipment gamble taken during the offseason. In May, the veteran racer made the monumental decision to end an 18-year partnership with French manufacturing giant Rossignol. She instead chose to align herself with Van Deer–Red Bull Sports, the Austrian brand founded by skiing legend Marcel Hirscher. By making the switch, Moltzan became the very first female athlete to compete on the brand’s skis, which had previously been developed exclusively for male competitors.
"It does really feel real, but we’ve put in a lot of hard work this summer developing this ski and it feels like this is kind of a pinnacle that it’s paying off and we did all the right things," Moltzan said, reflecting on the arduous summer testing process required to dial in her new setup.
The broader American team also enjoyed a strong collective outing on the Rettenbach glacier, placing multiple athletes deep inside the points and reinforcing the depth of the US program. Alongside Moltzan and Shiffrin, AJ Hurt put together a solid performance to finish 13th, Elisabeth Bocock claimed 14th, and Nina O’Brien tied for 16th overall.
Away from the competitive spotlight, Moltzan has drawn widespread praise and attention for her advocacy work off the slopes. In an interview published just a day before the race, she spoke candidly about her ongoing campaign to expand fertility treatment coverage for female US Olympic athletes. To raise awareness for the cause, Moltzan has actively competed with a distinctive floral uterus design painted on her racing helmet. The Minnesotan has been a vocal proponent of the idea that elite female athletes should not have to face an unfair ultimatum between pursuing their athletic dreams at the highest international level and starting families, actively pushing the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee for improved benefits and structural support.
For the moment, however, the pioneer of American alpine skiing has every reason to pause and savor the defining triumph of her professional career. Accomplished on the unforgiving slopes of the Rettenbach glacier at the traditional curtain-raiser of the global circuit, the victory stands as a testament to perseverance, reinvention, and belief.
"I can’t imagine a better start," Moltzan said, smiling amid the celebratory atmosphere in Sölden. "I’m really, really, really excited and I can’t wait to see everybody who’s here cheering us on."
