SOELDEN, Austria (AP) — American ski star Mikaela Shiffrin led the women's World Cup season opener after the first run Saturday, with defending overall champion Lara Gut-Behrami deciding shortly before the start to skip the race. Aiming for her record-extending 98th career win, Shiffrin wasn't flawless in the opening section of the giant slalom but beat her opponents with a strong middle part and finish. Alice Robinson of New Zealand led Shiffrin by 0.
42 seconds at the second split but ultimately came up 0.22 short. Federica Brignone of Italy trailed by 0.
40 in third, with only two more racers finishing within a second of the American's time. “I felt good. My preparation going to this race was quite strong, I am happy with my skiing right now.
The only task is to bring more intensity or more aggression, try to find time somewhere,” said Shiffrin, who was hugged by her fiancé, injured Norwegian skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde , in the finish area. “I had a moment where I didn’t really trust my direction where I was going," Shiffrin said. "It wasn’t a big mistake, it takes away your intensity a little bit.
But then, after that, I was pushing even harder. Maybe it just took me until the pitch to turn on the gas. But even then it was really strong.
” Holding the women's record with 22 wins in the discipline, Shiffrin was racing her first GS since injuring her knee in a downhill crash in January. She is leaving the downhill off her schedule this season. Gut-Behrami di.