Sara Hector finished the first run of the Alpine World Cup giant slalom season in second place in Sölden, Austria, on Saturday, 14 hundredths of a second behind Mikaela Shiffrin, according to SVT Nyheter. The 34-year-old Swede, who went out third from the start gate, briefly held the lead before the American posted the faster time.
The result places Hector at the front of the field going into the second run, with a strong position from which to open her campaign.
Why it matters
Hector has finished third in the giant slalom standings for three consecutive seasons, and her opening run in Sölden suggests she remains a contender at the top of the discipline this winter. Starting the season within striking distance of Shiffrin, widely described by SVT Nyheter as the dominant figure in the field, gives the Swedish team an early marker of where it stands against the best.
The race also offered encouraging signs further down the Swedish squad. Estelle Alphand produced a solid first run to sit seventh, and two more Swedes secured places in the second run.
Alphand seventh as four Swedes advance
Alphand's seventh place gives Sweden a second skier in the top ten after the opening run. Hanna Aronsson Elfman and Hilma Lövblom also qualified for the second run, sitting 18th and 20th respectively, according to SVT Nyheter.
For Sophie Nyberg, the margin was far crueller. The 22-year-old, making only the second World Cup start of her career, missed the cut for the top 30 by less than half a second and will not take part in the second run.
Cornelia Öhlund also started in Sölden despite a disrupted build-up. The 21-year-old crashed during pre-season training and sustained a concussion just nine days before the race, SVT Nyheter reports. She took her place on the start line but skied out roughly halfway down the course.
What to watch
The second run will decide the opening giant slalom result of the season, with Hector chasing Shiffrin's narrow advantage and Alphand looking to move up from seventh.
