Hector wins giant slalom as women’s World Cup opens in Špindlerův Mlýn

The women’s Alpine skiing World Cup event in Špindlerův Mlýn in the Krkonoše Mountains opened on Saturday with a giant slalom victory for Sweden’s Sara Hector and concludes on Sunday.

The Olympic champion confirmed her first-run lead and won by 0.18 seconds ahead of American Paula Moltzan. Overall World Cup leader Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States finished third, a further 0.05 seconds back, returning to the giant slalom podium for the first time in two years.

The Czech representatives Adriana Jelínková and Tereza Koutná both failed to qualify for the second run.

The Špindlerův Mlýn races are the final technical World Cup events before the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. Jelínková is the only Czech skier entered in both Saturday’s giant slalom and Sunday’s slalom.

Because of the World Cup races, the black slope in the Svatý Petr area is closed, while other slopes remain open to recreational skiers.