Les riches ont pris un bon départ: les pieds sur terre

German skier Emma Aicher claimed third place in the opening giant slalom of the Alpine World Cup season in Soelden, Austria, delivering a surprising podium finish at the age of twenty-two. The result placed her behind American Paula Moltzan, who took victory by a margin of just one hundredth of a second over Lara Colturi of Albania. This marked Aicher's first top-three result in the discipline, which has historically been her weakest area. She finished ahead of several competitors despite challenging weather conditions on the Rettenbach glacier course. The race unfolded under gray skies with intermittent light snowfall. Aicher started the event wearing her bib number before donning a warm jacket due to the cold temperatures high on the mountain. However, she had to quickly remove the outer layer and return to her racing suit for the mandatory International Ski Federation photo opportunity after realizing she had secured a podium spot. Only two women were faster than her in the final standings. Before the last runner completed the course, the situation appeared different. Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States led after the first run. Shiffrin had announced plans to focus more on giant slalom and super-G this season, raising expectations among rivals. Yet, she struggled during the second descent, sliding down to seventh place. Aicher described the outcome as unexpected, noting that she had always found the specific slope difficult. Until this Saturday, she had never stood on the winner's podium in giant slalom. Her closest previous attempt occurred in March in Are, Sweden, where she finished fourth. That location holds personal significance as she attended school there for many years and knows the terrain well. Despite these past difficulties, she achieved her breakthrough on a course widely regarded as the most difficult in the World Cup calendar. Wolfgang Maier, sports director of the German Ski Association, stated that the performance was not accidental. He noted that Aicher had improved significantly in giant slalom recently. While he acknowledged the impressive nature of the result, he cautioned against labeling her the outright favorite for the overall World Cup title immediately. He advised keeping feet on the ground, pointing out that Austrian skier Julia Scheib, the leading giant slalom specialist from the previous winter, dropped out during the first run despite posting the fastest intermediate time. Maier also highlighted that Aicher benefited from slightly better lighting conditions during her second run compared to other competitors. Aicher herself remained reserved regarding discussions of the overall title. She expressed a preference to focus on her individual performance and areas for improvement. Nevertheless, she admitted that competing in all four disciplines makes the Crystal Globe a goal, especially for an athlete capable of reaching the podium in each. She credited luck for having clear visibility on the steep, tricky section of the course during her decisive run. Other German skiers had mixed results. Lena Durr finished twenty-second, expressing dissatisfaction with her performance on the steep sections. She hoped to make progress in upcoming weeks. Kira Weidle-Winkelmann, a downhill specialist, scored points in her second-ever giant slalom by finishing twenty-sixth. She described the experience as surreal. Looking ahead, Aicher intends to compete in all forty races scheduled for the season. Upcoming events include slaloms in Levi, Finland, on November 14, and Gurgl, Austria, on November 21. Shiffrin has indicated she will skip both of those competitions. The World Championships are set for Crans-Montana from February 1 to 14, 2027. Aicher’s consistent form early in the season suggests she will remain a contender in future events.