In a thrilling showdown on the iconic Erta slope in Kronplatz, Italy—right in the shadow of the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics—Austria’s Julia Scheib unleashed her unstoppable form to snatch her fourth giant slalom World Cup victory of the 2025-26 season!
The 27-year-old Scheib, who dramatically crashed here just meters from the finish last year, turned redemption into pure dominance. Starting third after Run 1, she delivered the fastest second run to clock an unbeatable 2:19.85, edging out Switzerland’s Camille Rast (+0.37) for silver and Sweden’s Sara Hector (+0.46) for bronze. Scheib now boasts four wins and two runner-ups in seven GS races this season, rocketing her to a massive 139-point lead in the discipline standings and cementing her as the overwhelming favorite for Olympic giant slalom gold next month!
But the drama didn’t stop there—Mikaela Shiffrin, the American legend and overall World Cup points leader, charged hard in her final push and finished a razor-close fourth (+0.86), missing the podium by less than a second. Shiffrin, still hunting her first GS podium of the season, showed massive progress with her third straight top-6 (4th, 5th, 6th in recent races). “Fourth is interesting… from where I was last year, I would have dreamed of getting fourth,” Shiffrin reflected post-race, adding she’s hungry for more as she builds momentum toward Cortina.
Adding to the emotional high: Italy’s Federica Brignone made an incredible comeback after a devastating leg injury nine months ago, powering to sixth on her home mountain—waving to the roaring crowd and boosting her Olympic hopes in what could be a fairy-tale Games on Italian snow.
With perfect conditions and razor-thin margins, this race was a perfect Olympic preview—proving the women’s GS field is fiercer than ever!
Who’s your pick to win giant slalom gold at Milano Cortina 2026? Scheib’s dominance unstoppable? Shiffrin about to break through? Or Brignone stealing the show at home? Drop your predictions below and tag your ski-loving friends! 🇦🇹🇺🇸🇮🇹🔥
