Steen Olsen wins World Cup opener as Hirscher wows on comeback

Norway's Alexander Steen Olsen won the season-opening men's giant slalom in the World Cup on Sunday, hitting speeds of over 91kph despite the 46 turns on the steep Rettenbach glacier.

His compatriots Henrik Kristoffersen and Atle Lie McGrath completed the podium while former Norwegian Lucas Pinheiro Braathen came fourth in Brazilian colours on his comeback race after a year out, even dancing a samba after taking the early lead on run two.

Alpine skiing legend Marcel Hirscher made a comeback in Dutch colours instead of his former Austrian status at the age of 35, after notching up 67 World Cup wins and a record eight consecutive overall World Cup crystal globes.

After five years out, Hirscher made a tentative descent on the first run, but in signs he may have a podium finish in him this season he hit top speed on his second run to finish 23rd on the day.

"I have to ask myself 'wow', where did I manage to find that. I love it. It's great skiing with no obligation," Hirscher said after the second descent.

"In the old days I had to come in the top two, here I was happy to qualify for the second run," he added.

Marco Odermatt, who has won the overall men's World Cup title for the last three seasons, failed to finish his first run on Sunday.

On the same slope Saturday women's World Cup champion Lara Gut-Behrami decided against competing saying she did not wish to risk her health, while American star Mikaela Shiffrin dropped from first in the opening run to fifth by the end.

Italy's Federica Brignone won that race ahead of New Zealand's Alice Robinson and Julia Scheib of Austria.

The Rettenbach slope has sections with a 65 percent gradient and with the start gate at an altitude of 3,040m, it guarantees hard snow with all the competitors hitting close to 90kph, or 56mph.

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