Camille Rast Wins Kranjska Gora GS, Dedicating Triumph To Victims Of Recent Crans‑Montana Bar Fire
Camille Rast delivered a composed performance on a demanding Kranjska Gora course, posting the fastest combined time to take the win after two runs. She was first on course and managed to hold off a strong field with a steady second run, converting early momentum into a breakthrough victory in the discipline.
Rast set the tone early, wearing Bib 1 and posting the fastest opening run. Despite a fierce charge from Scheib in the second leg, Rast maintained her composure through the final steep pitch to secure the win.
Second last-time out in Semmering, Austria the emotional Rast was too swift even for season-standout Scheib. The Austrian, winner of three of the previous five races, pushed mighty hard, but even a scintillating second run could not quite close the gap, with Scheib ending 0.20 seconds off her Swiss rival’s pace.
Meanwhile, Moltzan headlined another excellent day for the USA women’s tech team (three skiers in the top eight) as she shook off the effects of a heavy crash in Semmering to finish on the podium for the second time this season.
Defending Olympic GS champion Sara Hector (SWE/Head) and the most successful women’s World Cup GS skier of all-time Mikaela Shiffrin (USA/Atomic) rounded off a high-class top-five. With only Alice Robinson (NZL/Salomon) of the top contenders missing out, the New Zealander failing to finish run one for the second GS in succession.
She dedicated the win to the victims of a devastating fire at a bar in Crans-Montana that occurred during New Year’s celebrations, claiming 40 lives in her home Canton of Valais.
"This week, in my hometown, there was a tragical accident and I think about those families," Rast said in a tearful course-side interview. "It was a difficult week. But sport has so many emotions, so I tried to do my best and give some good emotions to those people."
Rast added: "Sport brings emotion and I hope today I could bring some positive emotion for people. It’s really hard to know how it is when you are not home but for sure it is difficult, and I hope I could bring a little smile on some faces today.”
Immediately after her victory, Rast made a visible tribute to victims of the recent tragedy near her home region: she tapped a black mourning band on her left upper arm twice and dedicated the race to those affected by the Crans‑Montana bar fire. She said the weekend’s racing was for the families touched by the incident, signaling the emotional weight behind the result.
The win carries extra resonance because Rast hails from Vétroz, in the Swiss canton of Valais, not far from Crans‑Montana, where the New Year’s Eve fire left dozens dead and many injured. The victory is Rast’s first World Cup giant slalom win, a milestone that adds to her rising profile after success in slalom and at world championship level.
This breakthrough in Kranjska Gora boosts Rast’s standing in the technical events and provides momentum ahead of the busy January calendar and the Milan‑Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics season. The emotional dedication and the high‑quality field she beat make the result one of the weekend’s standout stories in the World Cup circuit.
Scheib started the season with just one World Cup GS podium to her name. Now she has three wins, two second place finishes and the leader’s red bib.
That helped put a smile back on Austrian faces after the news that former Slalom world champion Katharina Liensberger (AUT/Rossignol) will miss the rest of the season following a training run injury on Friday.
Moltzan could not quite match the rhythm Scheib found in the second run but just getting to the finish was quite an achievement for 31-year-old.
“I’m actually happy but a bit relieved. Last week was extremely difficult for me, still not feeling 100 per cent so to be able to pull it off was pretty nice," Moltzan said.
"I had some bruising on my spine on my L4 and L5 (lumbar vertebrae) so, basically every time I hit a bump it doesn’t really feel that good. So, lucky that the snow is actually quite smooth here.”
Paula Moltzan in a blue and white outfit holds ski poles triumphantly, standing next to a backdrop with logos and "World Cup" text.Mikaela Shiffrin in racing gear stands on snowy ground, holding ski poles, with a focused expression. Crowd and event signage visible in the background.
Moltzan, who won GS bronze at last year’s World Championships in Saalbach, led home Shiffrin in fifth and Nina O’Brien (USA/Rossignol) in eighth, to underline that the Stars and Stripes will have multiple medal threats at February’s Olympic Games in Cortina D’Ampezzo.
“It’s a really fun team to be a part of, you never really know who is going to be the fastest in training,” Moltzan said. “On race day I see so many of my teammates have podium potential speed and I think all it takes is for them to put two runs together.”
She will have to cede favourite status for Sunday’s Slalom down the Podkoren to Shiffrin – the record setter is going for her sixth consecutive win of the season – but the 31-year-old continues to bloom late in her career.
Rast’s win was widely reported by international outlets and framed as both a sporting milestone and a poignant moment of solidarity with victims back home. The World Cup circuit moves on quickly, with athletes and teams already turning attention to upcoming races and Olympic preparations; Rast’s performance will be watched closely as the season progresses
