Unheralded Hensien leads US ski team with Shiffrin and O’Brien to best GS result in 32 years

By ERIC WILLEMSEN The Associated Press

United States' Katie Hensien celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski, women's World Cup giant slalom, in Soelden, Austria, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Marco Trovati]

SOELDEN, Austria (AP) — The U.S. women’s ski team has opened the World Cup season with its best giant slalom result in more than three decades. And it wasn’t record-holder Mikaela Shiffrin leading the way. Unheralded Katie Hensien placed fourth at the traditional season-opening GS on a glacier in the Austrian Alps. Shiffrin followed in fifth and Nina O’Brien in seventh. Paula Moltzan rounded off the team’s strong showing in 11th. Hensien and O’Brien both got career-best results in their first race back after a 19-month injury layoff. Hensien says “I couldn’t have asked for a better day.”