On a stunning day in Courchevel, France, Mikaela Shiffrin made her triumphant and emotional return to the top step on the podium in a FIS World Cup. Young gun AJ Hurt took home her first World Cup giant slalom points, and top-20, in 18th place.

After an issue with the snow, in which the course was watered after heavy snowfall on Saturday and then groomed, the track was deemed unfit for racers for the previously scheduled Sunday giant slalom. But Sunday’s postponement left a hard and fast track for the women on Monday under blazing sunlight and it was worth the wait to see Mikaela take her first World Cup win in almost a year.

It was a beautiful moment when she crossed the finish line ahead of the field, as the community at the bottom of the hill realized that this was Mikaela’s first win after her father’s sudden passing. Mikaela took a moment in the finish corral, sitting on her skis and hugging her legs—seemingly letting it all wash over her. Emotions ran higher when she stepped off the podium and into her mom’s arms, as she cried through her post-race interview.

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