Moltzan wins her 149th World Cup start by 0.01 seconds in Sölden

Paula Moltzan of the United States earned her first individual Alpine Ski World Cup victory in Sölden, Austria, on October 24.

Her winning margin was 0.01 seconds across the two giant slalom runs; this was a race win, not a season title.

How did fifth place become a win?

Moltzan trailed first-run leader Mikaela Shiffrin by 0.59 seconds. She then moved ahead of Albania’s Lara Colturi by 0.01 seconds overall. Germany’s Emma Aicher finished third, 0.52 seconds behind the winner. FIS’s account and ORF’s on-site race coverage agree on the order and gaps. The morning standings could not settle the result.

What does 0.01 seconds compare?

It is the gap between combined times, not the difference in one run or a measured distance at the finish. Moltzan, Colturi and Aicher reached the podium from fifth, sixth and ninth respectively after run one. Shiffrin dropped from the lead to seventh. Reading only the second-run time or carrying the first-run order forward would miss how the competition was decided.

Did equipment or weather decide it?

This was the 32-year-old’s 149th individual World Cup start and her first race on new equipment. That coincidence does not establish that the skis caused the victory. FIS describes alternating snow and sunshine during run two; ORF reports worsening visibility for later starters. Conditions differed, but these accounts do not quantify how much each factor contributed to the margins.

What should readers check next?

This result opens the 2026/27 season. A single victory and cumulative season standings are different measures. Future FIS result sheets should be read with the event, discipline and individual runs in view. ORF also carries its own post-race athlete interviews, providing a check beyond the organizer’s account. Racing language about attacking a course should not be treated as safety advice for recreational skiing.

Primary sources and independent checks

Primary: federation account of placings, runs and individual starts, not an equipment-causation experiment: FIS · 2026-10-24

Independent field reporting and athlete interviews; checks placings, gaps and visibility: ORF Sport · 2026-10-24

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