Kristoffersen leads USA’s Winters qualifies

Luke Winters 1st run Garmisch- GEPA Pictures

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany – There is nothing easy about the first two-thirds of the Garmisch-Partenkirchen slalom hill. Now add several days of above-freezing temperatures and it becomes a severe challenge. While there is no way to fight the weather, the athlete’s start number proved to play a determinate role in the first-run results. By the time the first seven racers finished, a 1.89-second spread had been established. The term used by competitors for this situation is bib race.

Norwegian skier Henrik Kristoffersen, bib one, took a big lead in the opening run of a men’s World Cup slalom Wednesday, positioning himself for a first win in the discipline in 11 months. Notably, the top three qualifiers were the first three to complete the course. Linus Strasser, bib three, was second, and Clement Noel, bib four, was third. With no way to finish close to Kristoffersen, racers fought to the bottom chasing a qualifying run. Slalom requires two runs, so you never know what will happen, and Kristoffersen will ski last on the second run. He has a 0.71 seconds advantage over Strasser. 

The best hope for the later start numbers was a significant number of early athletes failing to finish or disqualifying. However, good skiing is rewarded, but big moves to finish ahead of skiers who didn’t make significant mistakes were nearly impossible. As the race progressed, the fight to the bottom only intensified. 

After the first 30 finished the run, four racers did not finish, and two racers were disqualified. Many other racers also experienced significant difficulties. The trouble of these skiers meant there was room in the top 30 for higher bibs to qualify with good skiing. The top 24 finishers at that point had a time separation of 4.78 seconds. The eighteenth-place racer was more than 3 seconds behind. 

By the end of the first run, the top thirty were separated by 4.19 seconds. The good news for the U.S. was for the first time this season, the men have a competitor in the second run. Luke Winters, bib 27, is in 22nd place, 3.48 seconds behind the leading Norwegian. Additionally, Canada’s Erik Read, bib 28, qualifies for the third consecutive slalom final and sits in 20th.

By the end of the first run, the course had significantly deteriorated with massive ruts forming requiring a true fighting spirit to find the finish. It was a challenge rarely seen in the World Cup. The snow surface is the big story of run one and will have a significant role during the second.

Analysis of the top three and qualified North Americans and the top 30 first-run results

Top 30 first-run results

The Associated Press contributed to this report.