At age 34 and in his 81st World Cup across 14 seasons, Stefan Brennsteiner finally got his first win on Friday.
Brennsteiner took full advantage of Olympic champion Marco Odermatt skiing out in the first run of a giant slalom in Copper Mountain, Colo., to win by a big margin of 0.95 seconds.
"It means a lot for me," Austria's Brennsteiner said. "The last years were quite good but I had tough times in my career."
Norwegian veteran Henrik Kristoffersen was second despite seeming to struggle with his breathing at the finish-area altitude around 3,000 meters (9,850 feet) in Colorado.
Filip Zubcic was third, one second behind the winner, with a fast second run to rise from 13th place.
Odermatt, a winner of 27 World Cup giant slaloms in the past five years, failed to complete a race in the discipline for the first time since last December at nearby Beaver Creek.
Austria's Stefan Brennsteiner earns his maiden World Cup alpine victory in Colorado
The Swiss star went out while set to post the fastest first-run time on a cold clear day in Colorado, where he lost control of his inside ski at a right-hand gate.
Odermatt's rare misfire came one day after he won a super-G to make it back-to-back-wins this season. He's seeking a fifth straight World Cup overall title.
Brennsteiner had four previous career podium finishes on the World Cup, all in giant slalom, including a single second place in March 2022.
Erik Read was the lone Canadian competing and finished 27th in a combined time of 2:34.42.
Calgary's Erik Read finishes 27th in giant slalom at Copper Mountain
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