Lucas Pinheiro Braathen wins the first slalom of the Olympic season in Levi. It is his sixth World Cup victory, the first for the Brazilian federation. The Swiss disappoint across the board.
Pinheiro Braathen was already leading at half-time after a dream run in the north of Finland. The 25-year-old skillfully managed his 41 hundredths lead over last year's winner Clément Noël in the decision and gave Brazil, his mother's home country, its first victory in the Alpine Ski World Cup. Having surprisingly retired in the fall of 2023 before the first race of the season in Sölden due to differences with the Norwegian federation, Braathen made his comeback a year ago and after a change of nation.
Frenchman Clément Noël finished 31 hundredths behind Braathen. Third place went sensationally to Eduard Hallberg, who claimed the first podium for Finland since 2007. The 22-year-old local driver advanced to fifth place in the first run with bib 29 and improved by two places in the final. Just a year ago, Hallberg squandered a similarly good starting position when he dropped back from 8th to 24th place.
Among those beaten were Henrik Kristoffersen and Loïc Meillard. Last season's most consistent slalom skier and the world champion had to settle for 13th and 14th place. Kristoffersen missed out on the podium for only the second time in his eighth appearance in Levi. Meillard, the only Swiss podium racer last season, didn't really get going in either run, but was still the best racer of a weak Swiss team in the end.
Tanguy Nef dropped seven places in the decision after a mistake in the steep slope and finished in 21st place, just ahead of compatriot Daniel Yule. The man from Valais only just made it into the 2nd run in 29th place in his first race after switching from Fischer to Atomic.
Ramon Zenhäusern (41st), Luca Aerni (53rd) and Marc Rochat (54th) got stuck in the 1st run. Matthias Iten was eliminated after good intermediate times and thus missed out on a possible first qualification for the final of the top 30 racers.
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