WENGEN, Switzerland — Atle Lie McGrath successfully maintained his lead from the first run to secure a victory in a World Cup slalom event on Sunday, marking an impressive Norwegian podium sweep. McGrath celebrated his achievement in style, mirroring the iconic move of former Swiss downhill champion Didier Cuche by kicking his ski into the air and catching it, thrilling the fans present at the finish line.
The accomplished skier, who was born in the United States, crossed the finish line 0.18 seconds ahead of Timon Haugan, who had placed 10th in the first round. Henrik Kristoffersen finished in third place, 0.29 seconds behind McGrath, thus increasing his advantage in the overall slalom standings for the season.
Emotional after his victory, McGrath expressed the significance of the win after a three-year gap since his last triumph. “It’s so cool to come down and be part of a triple Norwegian win. I was so close last year; I’m a bit overwhelmed,” he stated.
While Switzerland had been the dominant force in men’s skiing throughout the World Cup season, Norway has established itself as a formidable contender with five different skiers contributing to their total of five race victories. After the race, Haugan and Kristoffersen celebrated alongside McGrath, reflecting the camaraderie within their team.
McGrath shared his appreciation for the supportive atmosphere within the Norwegian team, stating, “It’s incredible. We’re a small team, but we have super high quality and really nice people who want each other to do well.” Despite the lack of podium finishes for the Swiss team, with Tanguy Nef, Loic Meillard, and Daniel Yule securing fourth, fifth, and sixth places respectively, they continue to seek their first slalom victory at Wengen since 1987.
The 24-year-old McGrath, whose father Felix represented the U.S. at the 1988 Calgary Olympics, admired Cuche, noting, “He told me in Kitzbühel last year that if I taught his son how to ski slalom, he would teach me the Cuche Flip because I’m so bad at it.” McGrath successfully performed the maneuver twice during the event.
Reflecting on the emotional strain from his recent races, McGrath mentioned that his previous two slalom finishes had not gone well, including a disappointing outcome in Adelboden the week prior after a series of three podium finishes. “The last two weeks have been challenging, and I felt like I’m the best slalom skier in the world and not getting results. I felt today it had to happen,” he said.
As he waited in the start gate, McGrath was tuned in to the race coverage and realized his teammates were performing well. He felt compelled to ensure the team’s success: “There was no other choice but to complete the sweep.” Last year, he had also led the Wengen event going into the second run but ultimately lost the victory to Austria’s Manuel Feller.
The weather for the slalom was notably different from the sunny and clear conditions of Saturday’s Lauberhorn downhill event, which had been won by Marco Odermatt. Although Odermatt opted out of the slalom, he continues to hold a significant lead in the overall World Cup standings as he aims for a fourth consecutive title. In the current rankings, Kristoffersen sits in second place, McGrath in fourth, and Haugan in fifth.
