SCHLADMING, Austria – Henrik Kristoffersen secured his first World Cup win in nearly 11 months on Wednesday, triumphing in the final slalom event before the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. The victory came at the expense of his Norwegian teammate, Atle Lie McGrath, who finished second, resulting in a 1-2 finish for Norway.
The race unfolded with Lucas Pinheiro Braathen setting a blistering pace in the first run, finishing in 1:13.92. However, McGrath faced early challenges, quickly falling behind with significant time deficits. NRK’s Carl Andreas Wold commented that McGrath’s struggles appeared to begin early in the run, making a comeback in the second run a daunting task. McGrath ultimately finished 2.01 seconds behind Pinheiro Braathen.
Kristoffersen, while not matching Pinheiro Braathen’s initial speed, positioned himself well, trailing by 1.93 seconds before the final run. He boasts an Olympic silver medal from Pyeongchang in 2018, adding to the stakes as the Olympic Games approach.
Brazilian’s Dominance and Norwegian Strength
Pinheiro Braathen’s performance drew praise from McGrath, who acknowledged the Brazilian’s current form. “Får du med deg mye fart helt fra starten, fortsetter du sånn hele veien,” McGrath told NRK, adding, “But he is in great shape.” (Translation: “If you get a lot of speed from the start, you continue like that all the way. But he is in great shape.”)
The competition also saw Timon Haugan struggle to keep pace, finishing 2.57 seconds behind Pinheiro Braathen. Marco Odermatt of Switzerland secured the third-fastest time in the first run, trailing Pinheiro Braathen by 0.95 seconds.
NRK’s Lars Elton Myhre highlighted the importance of the initial section of the course, noting that Pinheiro Braathen excelled in that area. “It is a very normal race – after Lucas,” Myhre commented, suggesting that Pinheiro Braathen’s performance set a high benchmark for the rest of the field.
Slalom Season Standings and Olympic Implications
The result has implications for the slalom season standings. According to an earlier report from January 28, 2026, Pinheiro Braathen had recently lost the lead in the slalom standings, trailing Atle Lie McGrath by a single point (451 to 450). The updated standings following Wednesday’s race were not available in the provided sources.
Kristoffersen’s win provides a significant confidence boost heading into the Olympics. His ability to overcome the challenges of the course and secure victory demonstrates his readiness for the higher stakes of the Games. The strong showing by both Kristoffersen and McGrath underscores Norway’s strength in slalom skiing, positioning them as medal contenders in Milan Cortina.
The race also highlighted the growing competitiveness of the international field. Pinheiro Braathen’s performance, building on his historic giant slalom win – the first Winter Olympic gold medal for Brazil – signals a shift in the landscape of alpine skiing. He posted a combined time of 2:25.00 in that event, defeating Marco Odermatt and Loic Meillard.
The men’s giant slalom saw a significant margin of victory, with Pinheiro Braathen’s lead after the first run being the largest in an Olympic men’s giant slalom since Alberto Tomba in 1988. The gap between first and second was nearly a full second, and third place was over a second-and-a-half behind.
Looking ahead, the Olympic giant slalom action will continue on Sunday with Mikaela Shiffrin, Paula Moltzan, and other top technical specialists competing in Cortina. Run 1 is scheduled to begin at 4 a.m. ET, with Run 2 at 7:30 a.m. ET, both streaming live on Peacock and NBCOlympics.com.
