Julia Scheib takes home victory at the ski opener in Sölden!

Julia Scheib takes home victory at the ski opener in Sölden!

The Alpine Ski World Cup has finally started the new season, and the local fans can cheer: Julia Scheib secured a brilliant home victory in the giant slalom in Sölden. With her victory, she ends a dry spell for the Austrian skiers, who have had to wait eleven years for a home win in Sölden. The last triumph of this kind goes back to Anna Veith, who won for Austria in 2014. Today, the joy of Scheib's first World Cup victory is palpable - a real reason to celebrate for local ski lovers.

But the competition also has its strengths: Paula Moltzan from the USA and the Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami complete the podium. The American Shiffrin, who started the race with a high starting number 20, took fourth place and once again confirmed her class , as Radio Herford reports.

German skiers under pressure

However, the start of the season was less satisfactory for the German team. Lena Dürr, who was unable to train much before the race due to a cold, only managed 14th place. She was able to keep up well in the first run, but was unable to improve her performance in the second run. She spoke of a “fight” and an “incredibly exhausting” competition , reports Der Spiegel. Emma Aicher didn't quite escape the defeat with a 28th place finish, but the expectations of the German participants were still high.

However, the successes of the established competition provide an incentive to improve and the German team certainly still has room for improvement to do better as the season progresses.

Prospects for the men's giant slalom

The men's giant slalom is scheduled for Sunday. Marco Odermatt from Switzerland will start the race as the favorite, while the German Anton Grammel is considered the most promising local hero. The anticipation for the next event is palpable, and the fans can be excited to see whether the German team can turn things around in the men's event.

The competitions in Sölden have shown that anything is possible, and both the athletes and the spectators can look forward to an exciting season. The latest results tables reflect developments in the international ski world, with Austria traditionally having been well represented in recent years and regularly fighting for the top positions in the overall standings , which the World Cup history impressively confirms.