Mikaela Shiffrin returns to GS podium after 2 years. Sara Hector wins and Paula Moltzan 2nd

SPINDLERUV MLYN, Czechia (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin earned a place on the podium of a World Cup giant slalom for the first time in two years Saturday, finishing third in the last GS before the Milan Cortina Olympics.

The race was won by defending Olympic champion Sara Hector, who held on to her opening run lead for her first victory since January 2025.

“You always have to keep working, it's so many strong girls as you can see today,” the Swedish winner said in a course-side interview. “I am super happy that in the end I crossed the finish line first. That's a really cool feeling.”

Shiffrin, the 2018 Olympic GS gold medalist, trailed Hector by 0.23 seconds and the American shared the podium with second-placed teammate Paula Moltzan, who was 0.18 off the pace.

Shiffrin holds the women’s record for most career World Cup GS wins with 22 but hadn’t had a top-three result in the discipline in 11 events since coming runner-up at a race in Slovakia in January 2024.

Six days later, she crashed in a downhill on the course that will be used for the Olympics next month and then didn’t compete in GS again until the start of the 2024-25 season.

In November 2024, she sustained a puncture wound to the right side of her abdomen and severe damage to her oblique abdominal muscles in a crash at her home GS in Killington, Vermont, and subsequently suffered from lingering post-traumatic stress disorder.

This season, Shiffrin racked up three fourth places before ultimately returning to the podium Saturday, three weeks before the Olympic race in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Moltzan, who's chasing her maiden career win, got her third podium of the season, leading a strong showing by the U.S. team, with Nina O’Brien in fifth and AJ Hurt in eighth.

In the opening run, Hector edged out Camille Rast of Switzerland by 0.02 seconds, with GS rankings leader Julia Scheib of Austria 0.26 back in third.

Rast dropped to fourth, while Scheib skied out in the final run.

Overall World Cup champion Federica Brignone, who made a strong return to racing from a nine-month injury layoff on Tuesday, and her Italian teammate Sofia Goggia, the 2018 Olympic downhill champion, sat out the event in Czechia, with a weekend of speed racing coming up in Switzerland next week ahead of their home Olympics.

A slalom on the same hill is scheduled for Sunday.

AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

United States' Paula Moltzan speeds down the course during a women's World Cup giant slalom, in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

United States' Mikaela Shiffrin at finish line during a women's alpine ski, World Cup giant slalom, in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Sweden's Sara Hector, centre, winner of a women's alpine ski, World Cup giant slalom, poses with second placed United States' Paula Moltzan, left, and third placed United States' Mikaela Shiffrin in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Sweden's Sara Hector, right, and United States' Mikaela Shiffrin at finish line during a women's alpine ski, World Cup giant slalom, in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

From left, United States' Mikaela Shiffrin, Sweden's Sara Hector and United States' Paula Moltzan at finish line during a women¥s alpine ski, World Cup giant slalom, in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

United States' Mikaela Shiffrin speeds down the course during a women's World Cup giant slalom, in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Austria's Julia Scheib speeds down the course during a women's World Cup giant slalom, in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)

Switzerland's Camille Rast speeds down the course during a women¥s World Cup giant slalom, in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)

United States' Mikaela Shiffrin speeds down the course during a women's World Cup giant slalom, in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)

Sweden's Sara Hector speeds down the course during a women's World Cup giant slalom, in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)

PARIS (AP) — Ugo Humbert has pulled out of playing for France in a Davis Cup match next month to prioritize upcoming tournaments.

Humbert said the decision to skip France's first-round qualifier at home against Slovakia on Feb. 7-8 was made with indoor tournaments in mind.

“After discussing this with my team, I've made the difficult decision not to participate in the next Davis Cup tie,” Humbert posted on Instagram on Saturday. “To tackle this first part of the season and maintain my goals, I've chosen to focus on the upcoming tournaments, especially on indoor hard courts.”

There are indoor tournaments on the ATP Tour next month in Montpellier and Rotterdam, followed by tournaments on outdoor hard courts in Doha and Dubai.

The No. 33-ranked Humbert excels on indoor hard courts. A strong server with an excellent two-handed backhand, Humbert has won four of his seven career titles indoors and made an impressive run to the Paris Masters final in 2024.

Humbert lost to eighth-seeded Ben Shelton in the first round of the Australian Open this week.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Ugo Humbert of France plays a backhand return to Ben Shelton of the U.S. during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)