SUN VALLEY, Idaho — Henrik Kristoffersen from Norway secured the slalom title for the season on Thursday with a fourth-place finish in the World Cup finals, while his compatriot Timon Haugan claimed victory in the race.
Upon completing the race, Kristoffersen lay on the snow, striking his chest in triumph. Holding off Swiss competitor Loic Meillard in the overall standings, he achieved his fourth slalom crystal globe. Haugan’s triumph lifted him to third place in the rankings.
“When I reflect on this, I will do so with gratitude,” remarked Kristoffersen, aged 30, who first claimed a World Cup slalom globe in the 2015-2016 season. “The immense effort impacts everything—my mindset, family, and everyone supporting me. Being at the pinnacle for such a duration is taxing. It doesn’t get any easier.”
Haugan, who led after the first run, navigated a challenging course with skill, finishing in a combined time of 1 minute, 43.61 seconds. He narrowly edged out France’s Clement Noel by 0.03 seconds as the World Cup season wrapped up. Austria’s Fabio Gstrein secured the third spot.
“I was extremely nervous during both runs,” noted Haugan, who took the opportunity to purchase cowboy hats and a belt buckle while in the area. “Thrilled with how it concluded.”
This season, Kristoffersen has epitomized consistency, ranking in the top eight in 11 out of 12 World Cup slalom races, including achieving two victories. With four slalom World Cup crystal globes, he joins legends like Alberto Tomba, only trailing behind Ingemar Stenmark’s eight wins and Marcel Hirscher’s six.
His immediate plans include some rest before heading home to spend time with his young son. His future endeavors remain undecided at the moment.
When asked if he sought further victories, he replied, “We’ll see in August.”
In an unexpected turn of events, Linus Strasser from Germany narrowly avoided a mishap in his first run when a course worker inadvertently crossed into his path. Strasser calmly continued and ultimately finished sixth for the day.
“A couple of gates before, I noticed someone sliding onto the course,” Strasser recounted. “I quickly calculated that it might be close. Just before passing, I thought I might go behind them. Fortunately, it worked out.”
American skier Benjamin Ritchie advanced to seventh place following an impressive final run.
In the final men’s overall World Cup standings, Marco Odermatt of Switzerland led with 1,721 points, with Kristoffersen earning 1,116 and Meillard attaining 1,076.