Italy’s Federica Brignone won the World Cup opener at Sölden on Saturday as Mikaela Shiffrin flopped on her second run of the giant slalom.

It was a 28th career win in the World Cup for the 34-year-old Brignone, and her 13th in the giant slalom.

“That was for sure not what I was expecting,” Brignone said. “This is incredible, for sure, Sölden is one month before all the rest of the season for me, so I will have to work hard, still. This is an amazing start of the season.”

Shiffrin was fastest over the first descent which started at 3,040m altitude, but the American failed to attack the second run leaving Brignone to grab the first victory of the 2024-25 season ahead of New Zealand’s Alice Robinson and Julia Scheib of Austria.

Brignone, 34, displaced Austrian Elisabeth Görgl as the oldest woman to win an Alpine skiing World Cup race.

With festive weekend crowds in full voice at the Austrian resort, Shiffrin was the star attraction, and as winner of the first run came out of the starter’s gate last.

But in stark contrast to the first run she was tentative on the 49 turns on the hard snow and was only 27th fastest on the second run.

Shiffrin sat out the end of the 2023-24 season after damaging ligaments in a crash in January on the Cortina d’Ampezzo downhill course.

“I’m just happy to be here,” said the modest 29-year-old, who was seeking a record-extending 98th World Cup win. “If I miss the timing, then I’m just kind of fighting against the tracks the whole way down. This hill, if you are fighting it, then it is so slow.”

Shiffrin ended up fifth overall, in between fellow Americans Katie Hensien (fourth) and Nina O’Brien (seventh). That gave the US three women in the top seven of a World Cup giant slalom for the first time since 1992.

Lara Gut-Behrami, last year’s overall World Cup champion, pulled out before the start saying she did not feel “ready” to ski.