TIRANA, Oct 25 /ATA/ – Albanian skier Lara Colturi finished seventh in the women’s giant slalom season opener of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Sölden, Austria, marking a career-best result for the 18-year-old.
Competing under the Albanian flag, Colturi improved on last year’s 16th-place finish with a strong combined time after two runs on the Rettenbach Glacier course.
“I was very emotional – I’m really happy with what I did today,” Colturi said after the race. “The first run went better than the second, but there’s a lot of work ahead and time to improve. Opening the season in Sölden always brings big emotions – this was the best possible start.”
She added that racing for Albania carries special pride.
“It’s a big psychological challenge, but I’m grateful for the support of so many Albanian fans here. I’m proud to represent the Albanian team and to see so many red-and-black flags in Austria.”
Austria’s Julia Scheib claimed her first-ever World Cup victory, winning with a total time of 2:16.51 — the first Austrian to triumph in the discipline since 2016. American Paula Moltzan finished second (2:17.09), followed by Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami (2:17.62).
The next women’s World Cup event will take place in two weeks, featuring slalom races in Levi, Finland, north of the Arctic Circle.
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