Zrinka after the opening of the season in Sölden: "I was surprised by the substructure. I definitely showed some good stuff.

Croatian skier Zrinka Ljutić finished eleventh in the season-opening World Cup giant slalom held in Soelden, Austria. American Paula Moltzan claimed victory in the race. Ljutiic trailed the winner by one second and 35 hundredths of a second. She had placed twelfth after completing the first run. Ljutić described the course conditions as surprising during her post-race interview. She noted that the track surface felt different on Saturday compared to previous training sessions in Soelden. This discrepancy was particularly noticeable during her initial descent. The Croatian athlete stated that she generally finds it difficult to combine two good runs at this specific venue throughout her career. However, she believed she demonstrated positive aspects in a demanding competition. Regarding her strategy, Ljutić explained that she adopted a reserved approach in the first run while the field adjusted to the new season start. Feeling she had reserves remaining after the first pass, she decided to ski more decisively in the second run. Her performance remained solid until a single error occurred on a steep section. She clipped a gate, resulting in a loss of speed that impacted her final time. The event marked the premiere race of the new World Cup season. Both sources confirm Moltzan’s win and Ljutić’s finishing position. The Croatian skier emphasized that all competitors were still finding their rhythm early in the campaign. She acknowledged mixed results on the course, citing both good moments and areas for improvement. The specific gap between her and the leader stood at 1.35 seconds. Ljutić highlighted the challenge of adapting to the Soelden terrain, which has historically presented difficulties for her ability to maintain consistency across multiple runs. Her comments focused on the technical adjustments required due to the unexpected snow conditions observed on race day versus practice days.