Adelboden, Switzerland, Jan 8 (AFP/APP):Norwegian skier Lucas Braathen held his nerve on a difficult Chuenisbargli piste to win the men’s slalom in Adelboden on Sunday.
The 22-year-old, who fell foul of the snow on Saturday when he did not finish the giant slalom, was quickest on the first run but only 16th fastest on his second on the soft snow.
That was still good enough to give him victory as he was 0.71 seconds faster than his compatriot and close friend Atle Lie McGrath with the German Linus Strasser third, 0.92sec behind.
“It was a tough day yesterday, so to be able to bounce back with a victory in a legendary Adelboden, words can’t describe how proud I am,” he said.
“It is surreal, the atmosphere they put on here. This is what I dream of.
That moment I got to share in front of 30,000 crazy amazing Swiss fans, it is a moment I’ll never forget.”
It marks a fifth career win for Braathen and his third of the season, following victories in the slalom in Val d’Isere and a giant in Alta Badia.
He now heads the slalom discipline standings, nine points clear of Manuel Feller, who could only make seventh on Sunday, and 30 ahead of Henrik Kristoffersen who got himself in a tangle on the first run and failed to make the cut for the second.
His friend McGrath, who was fifth after the first run, missed out on a third victory in slalom after Flachau and Courchevel/Meribel last March, but won his first podium this winter.
“I wanted to push the limits in a smart way,” he said. “I was really nervous after going out in the GS yesterday, and I tried to reset, I took some deep breaths.
“I did a safe first run and I experienced that amazing atmosphere. When I came in with green lights [on the second run], wow, I’ll remember that for the rest of my life.”
– ‘Complicated’ for Kristoffersen –
It was not all sweetness for the Norwegians, however, as Kristoffersen missed out completely.
He had been in sparkling form in Wednesday’s slalom in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and took second in Saturday’s giant in Adelboden but this time slipped and clipped a gate when he was going well on his first run.
He managed to stay upright and returned to the piste but finished 4.12sec behind Braathen which ruled him out of competing in the second run.
Olympic champion Clement Noel was another who failed to make the cut.
He made an excellent start to the first run, with better intermediate times than Braathen, before going out in the final section.
Noel has now been eliminated in six of his last eight World Cup slaloms which does not bode well for next month’s world championships.
“I could understand if I took all the risks but now I feel like I’m doing things right and it’s not happening. It’s complicated,” said the 25-year-old.
The next men’s slalom takes place next Sunday in Wengen.
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