Ski racing season begins for professionals

By USSA

SOELDEN, Austria — In the first race of the season, two U.S. women skied the final run.

Slalom world champion Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, Colo.) skied into sixth place in the Soelden giant slalom to kick off the 2014 Audi FIS Alpine World Cup Season on Oct. 26. Shiffrin led the U.S. women in the season opener and snagged her career-best World Cup giant slalom result.

Switzerland’s Lara Gut sealed her first World Cup GS victory despite a huge mistake on the steeps.

Olympic giant slalom Champion Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley) finished 27.

On Sunday, Ted Ligety (Park City) will be gunning for his third-straight win in Soelden while Bode Miller (Franconia, N.H.) returns to the snow for the first time since February 2012.