KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia (AP) — Henrik Kristoffersen won his first World Cup giant slalom in three years on Saturday, denying runner-up Lucas Pinheiro Braathen what would have been Brazil's first ever top-level victory in Alpine skiing.
Pinheiro Braathen improved from seventh after the opening run as he led the race with only first-run leader Kristofferson to come down.
The Norwegian lost more than half of his advantage but still finished a commanding 0.41 seconds ahead of his former teammate, who switched nations and returned to the circuit competing for Brazil this season after a year off.
“For sure, it means a lot. It was a really nice race, really good conditions,” Kristoffersen said.
The Norwegian was the 2018 Olympic silver medalist and 2019 world champion, and had his eighth World Cup win in the discipline but first since triumphing here in March 2022.
Swiss star Marco Odermatt, who trailed Kristoffersen by 0.15 after the opening run, dropped to third.
Odermatt smashed a ski pole against the boarding of the finish area after he finished 0.11 behind Pinheiro Braathen.
“When you start with an advantage, you want to keep it until the finish," said Odermatt, who is the Olympic and three-time World Cup GS champion.
No other skier than Kristoffersen or Odermatt has won in the seven GS races held on the Podkoren course since 2019, with the Norwegian winning it four times.
Pinheiro Braathen came close to ending the streak but had to settle for his fourth podium result since his switch to the Brazilian federation.
Joan Verdu of Andorra was third after the opening run but finished ninth.
River Radamus placed 12th after posting the second-fastest time in the final run on the hill where his former teammate Ted Ligety won a record six times between 2008 and 2014.
World champion Raphael Haaser finished seventh in his first race since winning gold on home snow in Saalbach-Hinterglemm two weeks ago.
The Austrian men’s team has not won any of the 34 World Cup races since Manuel Feller won a slalom in February 2024, matching its worst series of winless events in 1991-92.
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AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing
The Associated Press
