Braathen celebrated his second victory on the Rettenbach glacier, finishing 0.48 seconds ahead of Loïc Meillard and 0.49 seconds clear of Marco Odermatt. The Brazilian had already established himself at the top of the standings after the opening run and held on to his lead despite challenging conditions in the final. Austria missed out on a podium finish, although Stefan Brennsteiner had been sitting third at the halfway stage.
Strong winds force a shortened course
The season opener on the Rettenbach glacier was overshadowed by difficult weather conditions. Powerful gusts forced organisers to move the start further down the mountain, shortening the course by ten gates. Reduced visibility added another challenge for the competitors.
Braathen handled the conditions better than anyone. Wearing bib number four, the 26-year-old set the fastest time of the opening run in 52.40 seconds. He took an aggressive line through the steep section without sacrificing much speed. Switzerland’s Meillard was 0.24 seconds behind, with Austria’s Brennsteiner third at 0.49 seconds. Defending Sölden champion Odermatt followed just six hundredths further back.
Early exit for Schwarz as Brennsteiner raises Austrian hopes
Marco Schwarz’s season opener was over after just four gates. The Austrian, who finished second in Sölden last year, put too much weight on his inside ski approaching the steep section and missed a gate. Schwarz has decided to focus on giant slalom and speed events this winter, stepping away from slalom racing.
Brennsteiner, meanwhile, kept Austria’s podium hopes alive. Patrick Feurstein, Joshua Sturm and giant slalom world champion Haaser also qualified for the second run. Feurstein shared 15th place with River Radamus, 1.15 seconds off the pace, while Sturm was 17th (+1.16). Haaser faced an uphill battle from 20th, already 1.28 seconds behind the leader.
Haaser sets fastest second-run time but Braathen holds firm
The steep section again proved decisive in the second run. Several racers lost valuable tenths through excessive edging or by drifting too wide of the racing line. Haaser, however, found a smooth rhythm and clocked 51.90 seconds, the fastest time of the entire second run. The Austrian climbed 15 places to finish fifth, just 0.37 seconds shy of the podium.
American River Radamus also made significant progress, moving from joint 15th to fourth. Brennsteiner endured a frustrating final run, struggling to establish a clean rhythm through the steep section and losing time through repeated corrections. He slipped from third to 11th overall, while Feurstein finished tenth.
Odermatt then moved ahead of Radamus before Meillard edged the overall World Cup champion by just one hundredth of a second. That left Braathen as the final man at the start gate. The Brazilian attacked the steep section with precise, direct turns and maintained his balance over the increasingly uneven surface. Although he surrendered a little time on the flatter finishing stretch, his advantage was more than enough to seal victory.
Second Sölden triumph after historic Olympic season
It was Braathen’s second victory on the Rettenbach glacier. He had claimed his maiden World Cup win at the same venue in 2020, when he was still representing Norway. Following a brief retirement, he returned to competition under the Brazilian flag in 2024.
In February 2026, Braathen won Olympic gold in giant slalom, delivering Brazil’s first-ever medal at the Winter Olympics. The following month, he completed another milestone by securing his first giant slalom Crystal Globe.
Moltzan claims maiden World Cup victory in women’s race
The women’s giant slalom had already taken place in Sölden on Saturday. American Paula Moltzan celebrated her first World Cup victory, edging Lara Colturi by just one hundredth of a second. Emma Aicher completed the podium in third place. Franziska Gritsch was the highest-placed Austrian in ninth, while defending champion Julia Scheib crashed out.
World Cup returns in mid-November
The men’s circuit now takes a break of almost three weeks. The first slalom of the season is scheduled for 15 November in Levi, Finland, followed by another in Gurgl on 22 November. Giant slalom specialists will return to action at Copper Mountain on 29 November. The highlight of the season will be the World Championships in Crans-Montana in February 2027.
