Fenninger and Shiffrin tie season opener

It had appeared it would be business as usual for Soelden home-favourite Fenninger, who had won the last four giant slaloms of the previous season, but teenager Shiffrin fought back to tie first place and top her maiden giant slalom podium.

The 19-year-old American, who became the youngest ever Olympic slalom champion when she won gold in Sochi earlier this year, had taken her nine previous World Cup victories in her favourite discipline, the slalom.

"To win my first giant slalom 100 days before the 2015 World Championships at home in Vail is very special to me," said Shiffrin, who is also the slalom World Champion.

"I worked hard for it last season already and I had left the finals in Lenzerheide frustrated for I still had this goal in mind."

Shiffrin had obviously improved her range in the mid-season and might pose a real threat to 25-year-old Fenninger all winter.

"It was obvious from her attitude in the first run that she improved and matured," said Fenninger, who won Super G gold and took a silver in the giant slalom in Sochi.

"It's a great honour to be tied with Anna for I respect what she achieved last season. She really is a class above and this is probably a first taste of what to expect this season."

Both skiers were tied with two minutes and 39.85 seconds, beating Austrian Eva-Maria Brem by 0.27 seconds into third.

The knowledge of the terrain was an obvious plus on the Austrian glacier as another home skier, Kathrin Zettel, came fourth, 0.02 behind Brem.

For Shiffrin, it was also almost a home run as the United States Ski Team have been training in Soelden for several seasons by virtue of an agreement with the resort.

"It's a very difficult race and the conditions were up to what you expect in Soelden but it's also a race with which we Americans have a special relationship," she said.

While fellow-American Lindsey Vonn, winner of the season starter on the same course three years ago, skipped the event to concentrate on her return after a barren season in North America in December, 2013 World Cup winner Tina Maze of Slovenia had a disappointing race, finishing 22nd.

Three times winner Ted Ligety, also from the U.S, is the favourite for the men's race on Sunday.