SOELDEN, Austria — The U.S. women’s ski team kicked off the World Cup season on Saturday with an impressive showing in the giant slalom, achieving its top results in over 30 years. Remarkably, the standout performance came not from seasoned competitor Mikaela Shiffrin, but rather from relatively unknown Katie Hensien.
Hensien secured a remarkable fourth place in the season-opening giant slalom held on the scenic glaciers of the Austrian Alps. Following her were Shiffrin, who finished fifth, and Nina O’Brien in seventh. Paula Moltzan also had a strong performance, finishing in 11th place. It’s noteworthy that both Hensien and O’Brien had been sidelined the previous season due to injuries, marking their return to elite competition with career-best results after 19 months away from the slopes.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better day, especially considering it was my first time here racing,” Hensien, who grew up in Park City and attended college in Denver, expressed. “It feels great to trust my body again. My knee is in perfect shape, allowing me to focus on my skiing.”
Hensien, who started her World Cup journey in 2017, previously had only one top-20 finish, which was 18th in a slalom event in Zagreb, Croatia, four years ago. Competing in Saturday’s race with the bib No. 47, she started strong, finishing the first run in 17th place and then blazing through the second run to clinch fourth, just 0.03 seconds shy of stepping onto the podium.
“It took me by surprise,” she noted. “The emotions overwhelmed me because I have been battling back from a knee injury for a year and a half. This achievement proves that the hard work I put in during my recovery in Denver was worth it. I’m really proud of what I accomplished today.”
O’Brien also took a moment to celebrate Hensien’s success. “It’s amazing to see this happen. After my own recovery from a broken leg last season, I always believed that the effort we put in will yield results,” O’Brien reflected, recalling her previous ninth-place finish on the same hill three years ago.
The results from Hensien and O’Brien highlighted the team’s strongest showing in giant slalom since January 1992, when Eva Twardokens, Diann Roffe Steinrotter, and Julie Parisien finished third, fourth, and sixth, respectively, at a race in Piancavallo, Italy.
For a brief moment, it appeared that the team might also clinch a victory. Shiffrin, who was leading after the first run, had a solid start to her final run, increasing her lead over the nearest competitor, Federica Brignone, to 0.65 seconds at the initial timing split. However, Shiffrin encountered difficulties on a challenging part of the course, ultimately finishing 1.21 seconds behind Brignone, the race winner.
“The first run felt quite good, but I lacked a bit of intensity, which I aimed to adjust in my second run. Unfortunately, I miscalculated the timing,” Shiffrin reflected, maintaining her total of 97 career wins and 22 in giant slalom, both of which are records in the World Cup.
Despite her own result, Shiffrin remained enthusiastic about her teammates’ remarkable performances. “It’s incredible to see Nina coming back and performing so well. It wasn’t an easy day for her, yet she rose to the occasion,” Shiffrin applauded. “Katie’s performance is astounding; they have both been skiing exceptionally well, and witnessing their success is incredibly exhilarating.”
Even with her impressive performance eclipsing Shiffrin’s at her first race returning since March 2023, Hensien remained humble regarding her achievement. “Mikaela has been skiing impressively in training, and she sets the standard for all of us. While it may have been a bumpy ride today for her, this will fuel her motivation heading into the next GS in Killington on November 30,” Hensien stated. “I think everyone should keep an eye on her.”