Featured Image: Filip Zubcic. Credit: GEPA
After two fantastic days of speed races in Val Gardena/Gröden, the men’s competition shifted across the valley to tech events in Alta Badia.
The Alta Badia track is all about action. The guys need to stay sharp on every turn, keep their rhythm, and push themselves from the top to the bottom if they want to stay in contention.
This course shows off the men’s power in the final stretch, as they have to work to pick up speed in the last turns.
Croatian Filip Zibcic unveiled solid and dynamic skiing in the first run, leading by -0.05 into the second run of the giant slalom.
In 2024 Zubcic finished third in the World Cup giant slalom standings, scoring two podium finishes, including one in Alta Badia.
After a strong performance last season on this hill, the 31-year-old had confidence and that really shined through the final section of the course as he propelled into top gear. He will be striving to bring the same energy into the second run to secure his first victory on this track.
Noreweigan Alexander Steen Olsen heads into the second run just +0.05 behind Zubcic and Marco Odermatt sits in third +0.19 behind the pace.
Alexander Steen Olsen
Steen Olsen kicked off the season with triumphant success, winning his first GS in Sölden. Coming into the race today, the athlete sits fourth in the GS standings, even though he missed the Val d’Isère races due to a knee injury.
Although he has been fighting with the knee injury, he did not let it hold him back in the first run. He shined with skillful skiing, maintaining quick transitions and picking up pace through the final gates.
In the second run, Steen Olsen will be aiming to achieve his second giant slalom victory of his World Cup career.
Marco Odermatt
Marco Odermatt had a challenging start to his GS season, not finishing the first two races. But he was able to turn that around by winning his first GS of 2025 in Val D’Isere. The Swiss sensation was back on top.
After a fantastic win yesterday in the Val Gardena downhill and winning four times on the Alta Badia giant slalom hill, Odermatt was riding high on confidence today.
Nevertheless, he started the first run off the pace and had some work to do throughout the course. In superb fashion, he was able to maintain a strong tempo through the final sections and make up enough time to be in contention to set a new record of 25 GS World Cup victories.
Norwegian Dominance Heading Into Second Run
Three Norwegian athletes are in the top 5 heading into the second run: Steen Olsen with the second fastest time, Henrik Kristoffersen in 4th (+0.29), and Timon Haugan in 5th (+0.44).
Henrik Kristoffersen wears the leader bib today. After achieving a 2nd place in the first race and two fifth place results, he holds the top points in the GS World Cup standings. He has been on the podium six times in Alta Badia and will be aiming for his first victory here.
His teammate, Timon Haugan, was the 16th athlete to kick out of the start gate. At the end of last season, the 27-year-old achieved his first GS podium in Aspen, Colorado, and will be pushing to earn another top-3 on this track.
North Americans
Stifel US Ski Team athlete River Radamus and Erik Read, skiing for the World Racing Academy, were the two North Americans to qualify for the second run.
River Radamus was looking slightly hesitant on the first few turns, but after the big left footer, he found a rhythm through the middle section. After picking up the pace through the final turns, Radamus sits +1.13 off Zubcic’s pace, but only +0.12 outside of a top-10 result.
Erik Read lets out a big shout of “Finally!” as he crosses the finish line in 25th place. After a solid first run, the Canadian is sitting at +2.05 off the lead. This marks his first qualification for a second run this season, but he’s had five top-10 finishes in his World Cup career, so he’s aiming to get back to that level.
Tommy Ford kicked out of the start wearing bib 26. He revealed determination from the start and was attacking the line through the top section. Sadly, he came into a rut sideways, hitting it with force, causing his binding to pop off. He will not be competing in the second run.
Isaiah Nelson and Bridger Gile from the Stifel US Ski Team, along with Global Racing’s Patrick Kenney, gave it their all on the tough course but unfortunately didn’t make the cut for the second run.
Attacking Through the Chop
The course team put in weeks of work getting the track ready, injecting the snow with water to make it firm enough for the World Cup, ensuring it was solid for the big event.
The snow was tough and slick for the athletes, and as the competition went on, a tricky rut developed. The later competitors had to navigate through the chop, making it hard to keep up the kind of efficiency needed for a top 30 finish.
Nonetheless, seven racers outside of the top 30 qualified for the second run, and the quickest among them was Diego Orecchioni in bib 32. He’s sitting at +1.55 behind the leader, but he’s close to cracking the top 15.
Top 30 Race Results
Top Three Analysis
North American Analysis
About the Author: Ellie Hartman
