SCHLADMING, Austria — In a thrilling night of racing at the men’s World Cup giant slalom, Alexander Steen Olsen emerged victorious, leading a Norwegian 1-2 finish over teammate Henrik Kristoffersen, while last season’s overall champion, Marco Odermatt, claimed third place.
Despite dominating the giant slalom events recently, Odermatt faced challenges in the tricky, rain-soaked conditions. He struggled to gain his footing and ended the first run in 12th place, finishing 0.90 seconds behind the leader. However, he made a remarkable comeback in the second run, recording the fifth-fastest time, enabling him to climb nine positions. This performance echoed his previous year’s achievement in Schladming, where he turned around a slow start to clinch victory.
“I didn’t have a good first run. The second run improved, but it wasn’t perfect, and I’m here on the podium with a lot of luck,” said Odermatt, who continues to lead both the overall standings and the giant slalom rankings. He reflected on his recent two-week period competing in downhill events, stating, “I just didn’t ski well, but that can happen after racing downhill.”
Steen Olsen celebrated his second victory this season, having won the opening event in Soelden in October, where he also outperformed Kristoffersen. After taking the lead during the race, Steen Olsen burst with joy and shared a moment with Kristoffersen, awaiting the finish of first-run leader Loic Meillard. When Meillard finished fourth, Steen Olsen joyfully leaped onto the protective barriers in the finish area to celebrate.
“It was an amazing feeling after a tough period in slalom; it was a fantastic day,” said Steen Olsen, who managed to beat Kristoffersen by 0.39 seconds after starting the second run in second place.
He recollected his mindset before the final runs, saying, “I just thought, I’m going to give it my all, and if it works, it works.” He ultimately found great success by letting go and skiing freely. The giant slalom held significance as the final event before the upcoming world championships next month in Austria, but Steen Olsen remained focused on his performance for the day rather than the future.
The challenging weather conditions affected the course, compelling race organizers to lower the start gate due to persistent rain and low clouds, which led to run times being reduced by about 14 seconds.
Meanwhile, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who recently switched from representing Norway to Brazil, finished in 12th place. Braathen had previously experienced success with fourth and second-place finishes in earlier giant slaloms but has struggled to break into the top 10 in his subsequent races.
In another significant update, Alexis Pinturault, the two-time Olympic bronze medalist in giant slalom, will likely miss the rest of the season after being injured in a super-G accident last Friday at Kitzbuehel. The French ski federation reported that Pinturault sustained a fracture to the internal tibial plateau in his right knee and will begin a gradual rehabilitation process in approximately six weeks.
