Marco Schwarz / Alta Badia / GEPA pictures

Adelboden men’s World Cup giant slalom start list & program: Olympic-season classic

Olympic stakes rise on one of alpine skiing’s true classics

The men’s World Cup returns to Adelboden for one of alpine skiing’s most demanding giant slaloms, where January racing carries decisive weight in an Olympic season. Results in Adelboden and the remaining January events will play a key role in who earns selection to Milano-Cortina 2026 and how athletes are seeded once they arrive, raising the stakes on every run.

A true GS classic

The Adelboden giant slalom is a true classic on the World Cup calendar. The course opens on a steep, demanding pitch that immediately tests balance and commitment, then works through highly varied terrain featuring multiple rolls, fallaway turns, and banked turns that force constant adaptation. It finishes on another steep pitch, right as the athletes’ legs are most fatigued, exposing any weakness in strength, timing, line choice, or tactical decision-making. Success on the Chuenisbärgli demands every giant slalom skill, executed under sustained physical and mental pressure.

Elite first group — first seven starters

(Run 1 bibs | World Cup GS WCSL rank)

• Bib 1 — 🇧🇷 Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA) (2000) — WCSL: 5th (Atomic / Oakley)
• Bib 2 — 🇨🇭 Thomas Tumler (SUI) (1989) — WCSL: 7th (Stöckli)
• Bib 3 — 🇨🇭 Loïc Meillard (SUI) (1996) — *WCSL: 4th
• Bib 4 — 🇳🇴 Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR) (1994) — *WCSL: 2nd
• Bib 5 — 🇦🇹 Stefan Brennsteiner (AUT) (1991) — *WCSL: 3rd
• Bib 6 — 🇦🇹 Marco Schwarz (AUT) (1995) — *WCSL: 6th (Atomic)
• Bib 7 — 🇨🇭 Marco Odermatt (SUI) (1997) — *WCSL: 1st (Stöckli)

Men’s giant slalom podiums — 2026 season

GS standings snapshot — top five

(After Alta Badia)

• 1st — 🇦🇹 Stefan Brennsteiner (1991): 305 points (leads by 5)
• 2nd — 🇨🇭 Marco Odermatt: 300 points (–5)
• 3rd — 🇦🇹 Marco Schwarz: 252 points (–53)
• 4th — 🇳🇴 Henrik Kristoffersen: 224 points (–81)
• 5th — 🇮🇹 Alex Vinatzer: 207 points (–98)

Stifel US Ski Team and USA idependent — men’s World Cup giant slalom

• Bib 13 — 🇺🇸 River Radamus (1998) — GS rank: 9th, 142 points
  Radamus enters Adelboden inside the World Cup GS top 10, confirming he is performing at a consistently high level in an Olympic season.
• Bib 31 — 🇺🇸 Ryder Sarchett (2003) — GS rank: 27th, 32 points
• Bib 51 — 🇺🇸 Bridger Gile (1999) (HEAD / Oakley)
• Bib 56 — 🇺🇸 Isaiah Nelson (2001) (SHRED)
• Bib 64 — 🇺🇸 George Steffey (1997) (Völkl / Marker) — GS rank: 44th, 4 points
  Steffey is an independent athlete, training and racing with Global Racing.
• Bib 68 — 🇺🇸 Patrick Kenney (1997) (Völkl / Marker / SHRED)

Canada — men’s World Cup giant slalom

• Bib 54 — 🇨🇦 Erik Read (1991) (Atomic) — GS rank: 44th, 4 points
  Read is the lone Canadian entry in Adelboden and races as an independent, not a member of Alpine Canada Alpin. Including this season, he has scored World Cup GS points in 10 consecutive seasons and has qualified for the World Cup Finals four times in giant slalom.

Great Britain

• Bib 67 — 🇬🇧 Freddie Carrick-Smith (2007)
  Carrick-Smith is the lone British starter on the Adelboden GS start list.

Course setters — First run: Ryan WILSON EST Second run: Maxime TISSOT FRA

Men’s GS Race

The men’s giant slalom is set for Sunday, January 10th. Run one begins at 4:30 a.m. ET / 1:30 a.m. PT, followed by run two at 7:30 a.m. ET / 4:30 a.m. PT. Fans in Great Britain can tune in at 9:30 for the first run and 12:30 for the second.

How to Watch

• United States: Live and replay coverage on Ski and Snowboard Live.
• Canada: Stream on CBC Sports.
• Great Britain: Both races air live on Discovery+

Daily Program

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First Run Starlist