Alpine skiing: Aicher comes third at the World Cup opener in Sölden

Aicher cheered exuberantly when she crossed the finish line on the Rettenbachferner. After a fantastic preseason, the young German is considered a contender for victory in the overall World Cup this winter. The giant slalom is their weakest discipline. She previously achieved her best result to date when she came fourth in Are last March. Aicher’s performance at the start of the season in Tyrol, where she was ninth at halftime, was all the more remarkable.

Shiffrin, on the other hand, missed the 111th World Cup victory of her career. The six-time overall World Cup winner had announced that she would compete fewer races in her flagship discipline of slalom this winter and would focus on the giant slalom and the super-G. She called it a “season of exploration.”

Aicher’s teammate Lena Dürr finished 22nd in Tyrol. Kira Weidle-Winkelmann, whose strengths lie in the speed disciplines, came 26th. The Austrian Julia Scheib, last year’s winner and best giant slalom player last winter, was eliminated after falling in the first round.