Eduard Hallberg FIN / GEPA picture
Madonna di Campiglio men’s World Cup slalom: Finland’s Hallberg shocks the field as margins vanish under the lights
First Run — Top Five
- 1st · 🇫🇮 Eduard Hallberg — 50.29
- 2nd · 🇨🇭 Tanguy Nef — +0.16
- 3rd · 🇫🇷 Clément Noël — +0.23
- 4th · 🇳🇴 Henrik Kristoffersen — +0.29
- 5th · 🇳🇴 Timon Haugan — +0.32
The snow held beautifully on Canalone Miramonti, and the timing board tells the story. Just 0.32 seconds separate the top five, with seven skiers inside half a second of surprise leader Eduard Hallberg after the opening run of the men’s World Cup slalom night race.
High-Bib Impact — Starters 31+ Who Qualified
- 33 · Erik Hystad Solberg 🇳🇴 NOR — 10th, +0.63 (+23) ⭐ Fastest bib 31+
- 39 · Hans Grahl-Madsen 🇳🇴 NOR — 13th, +0.71 (+26)
- 52 · Joaquim Salarich Baucells 🇪🇸 ESP — 23rd, +1.39 (+29)
- 37 · Sam Maes 🇧🇪 BEL — 24th, +1.42 (+13)
- 50 · Matteo Canins 🇮🇹 ITA — 26th, +1.51 (+24)
- 53 · Antoine Azzolin 🇫🇷 FRA — 27th, +1.61 (+26) ⭐ Highest bib to qualify
- 35 · Marc Rochat 🇨🇭 SUI — 30th, +1.74 (+5)
Four DNFs among the first 30 starters opened the door, and the surface rewarded commitment all the way through the finish.
Hallberg leads an unusual, wide-open leaderboard
Starting with bib 21, Finland’s Hallberg delivered a composed, powerful run and built his advantage late, posting the fastest times in Sector 3 and Sector 4. The Finn, who earned his first World Cup podium earlier this season in Levi, backed it up when the lights were brightest.
Swiss skier Tanguy Nef followed with another brilliant, confident run to sit second, 0.16 seconds back, while reigning Olympic champion Clément Noël closed strongly to hold third.
Norway’s veterans remain tightly packed. Henrik Kristoffersen was once again fastest through the technical middle of the course but gave time back on the pitch and finish, while season slalom leader Timon Haugan attacked early and lost speed at the bottom.
USA, GBR: one qualifier each — and a CAN near miss
🇺🇸 United States
- Benjamin Ritchie qualified 28th (+1.70).
For the Stifel U.S. Ski Team slalom No. 1, this is only his second qualification of the season, the other coming in Levi. After a string of straddles and DNFs, Ritchie now has a chance to score his first World Cup points of the winter.
🇬🇧 Great Britain
- Laurie Taylor continued his strong form, qualifying 11th (+0.65).
Taylor once again placed himself firmly in the second-run fight, reinforcing Great Britain’s growing consistency in slalom.
🇨🇦 Canada
- Erik Read narrowly missed qualification in 31st (+1.79).
Read was the lone Canadian starter and came within 0.05 seconds of advancing, just missing what would have been his first slalom qualification of the season.
What it sets up
The slope stayed firm and fast from start to finish, and the margins reflect it. With seven skiers within half a second of Hallberg and significant movement already from higher bibs, the reversed start order promises a volatile second run where commitment and timing will decide everything.
The second run of the Madonna di Campiglio men’s World Cup slalom is scheduled for:
- 🇺🇸 Eastern Time (ET): 3:00 p.m.
- 🇺🇸 Pacific Time (PT): 12:00 p.m.
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom (GMT): 20:00
As always, the top 30 from the first run will start in reverse order, with Eduard Hallberg set to run last as the surprise first-run leader.
First Run top thirty results
Click images to enlarge
Run Analysis of the fastest three, North American and British Qualifiers
About the Author: Peter Lange
