Henrik Kristoffersen / Schladming Planai Slalom / GEPA pictures
Kristoffersen Breaks Through in Schladming as the Planai Delivers Another Night for the Ages
There is no atmosphere in Alpine ski racing like Schladming. The Planai stadium is steep and overwhelming, with tens of thousands packed shoulder-to-shoulder, the noise bouncing off the slope until it becomes deafening. Adelboden and Wengen inspire. Kitzbühel intimidates. Schladming overwhelms. On Tuesday night, it delivered a men’s slalom defined by attrition, momentum swings, and raw emotion.
TOP FIVE – Schladming Night Slalom
1st 🇳🇴 Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR, 1994) — 1:53.80
2nd 🇳🇴 Atle Lie McGrath (NOR, 2000, Head) — +0.34
3rd 🇫🇷 Clément Noël (FRA, 1997) — +0.54
4th 🇧🇷 Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA, 2000, Atomic, Oakley) — +0.99
5th 🇦🇹 Fabio Gstrein (AUT, 1997, Atomic) — +1.21
Henrik Kristoffersen’s victory was his first World Cup win of the season, and it came at the end of one of the most chaotic and unforgiving second runs of the winter. Early starters improbably held the top of the leaderboard, major contenders skied out, and the crowd grew louder and more relentless with every racer.
When the final skier crossed the line and the result was confirmed, Kristoffersen collapsed into the snow at the finish, overcome with emotion.
“After everything I’ve been through lately, it’s been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster,” Kristoffersen said. “I don’t cry a lot, and I never cry from pain or sadness, but today I cried for joy.”
Kristoffersen credited those closest to him for helping him through a difficult stretch.
“Thank you to everyone,” he said. “Thank you to Tonia, who is always by my side and always pushing me. Thank you to my dad, who has always been around, my mom, my whole family, and everyone on my team.”
Asked about winning on the sport’s loudest stage, Kristoffersen did not hesitate.
“This is my house,” he said.
TOP FIVE – World Cup Slalom Standings (After Schladming)
1st 🇳🇴 Atle Lie McGrath (NOR, 2000, Head) — 452 pts
2nd 🇧🇷 Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA, 2000, Atomic, Oakley) — −1
3rd 🇫🇷 Clément Noël (FRA, 1997) — −17
4th 🇳🇴 Timon Haugan (NOR, 1996) — −53
5th 🇳🇴 Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR, 1994) — −79
McGrath’s runner-up finish was enough to move him into the discipline lead by one point over his close friend Pinheiro Braathen, tightening an already compelling season-long battle.
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McGrath on the Day
Atle Lie McGrath said leading in Schladming for the first time brought added pressure, especially with a demanding second-run course, but he was pleased with how he responded.
“To lead here for the first time and feel that pressure, and then get such a tough second-run set, was really hard,” McGrath said. “But I’m super proud of how I skied.”
McGrath acknowledged that Henrik Kristoffersen was simply faster on the night.
“Henrik was the better man today,” he said. “I’m very happy to be second.”
He said his focus across two very different courses was staying simple and committing to movement.
“I just focused on the fundamentals and kept moving the whole way,” McGrath said. “I felt like I skied to my fullest potential today.”
Chaos and Attrition Under the Lights
The second run was brutal. Nine skiers failed to finish, including several podium contenders. Armand Marchant, Eduard Hallberg, Paco Rassat, and Loïc Meillard were all eliminated, underscoring how unforgiving the Planai becomes once pressure and noise converge.
Austrian Fabio Gstrein briefly sent the stadium into hysteria by taking a commanding lead before Clément Noël responded with the fastest second run, jumping ahead by more than a second and securing the 33rd World Cup podium of his career. Only the final two Norwegians would deny him more.
Crowd favorite Manuel Feller — the only Austrian men’s slalom winner this season — did not deliver his best run, but was still greeted by a massive roar at the finish, a reminder that Schladming rewards commitment as much as results.
Noël Finds Speed Again in Schladming
Clément Noël said the demanding second-run set played to his strengths, allowing him to attack and build confidence despite the difficult ice and tight rhythm on the Planai.
“The setting was pretty tough and very turny,” Noël said. “When it’s like this, it’s more selective and you need to push really hard to be fast. Right now, I’m pretty fast in these conditions, so that’s good.”
Noël said recent races had not reflected his true level, making his performance in Schladming an important step forward.
“The last races I wasn’t that fast,” he said. “Today gave me a confidence boost. I’m not racing to save something — I try to be fast and try to win races. This was a step in the right direction.”
Big Movers and American Progress
🇺🇸 Ben Ritchie delivered one of the standout performances of the night, climbing 17 positions in the second run to finish 13th, marking his second consecutive top-15 result after last weekend’s breakthrough in Kitzbühel.
“The second run was super tough — a really difficult set,” Ritchie said. “Running first, it’s never easy like that because you don’t quite know what to expect.”
Ritchie said he focused on skiing his run and letting the result take care of itself.
“I just tried my best and skied my run,” he said. “I’ve already moved up a couple spots, so hopefully we keep moving up some more.”
🇦🇹 Joshua Sturm was nearly as impressive, gaining 16 positions to finish 12th after starting deep in the order.
🇺🇸 Luke Winters finished 19th, ending a long World Cup scoring drought and reaching the second run for the first time in nearly two years.
“I was definitely excited just to be back in the second run again,” Winters said. “It’s been a long year and I’ve been working a lot. It’s been almost two years, so just getting two runs in meant a lot.”
Winters said the second run was difficult, but that he focused on fighting to the finish.
“The second run wasn’t very good — it was a really difficult set — and I had a tough time with it,” he said. “But I fought and got it through.”
He credited a relaxed mindset and trust in his setup for the breakthrough.
“I was very relaxed tonight and didn’t expect anything from myself,” Winters said. “I just trusted that my equipment was going to work, and I guess that’s what it took.”
A Night Only Schladming Can Deliver
Schladming does not forgive mistakes. It magnifies pressure, noise, and emotion. On this night, it stripped the sport down to courage and conviction.
Henrik Kristoffersen did not just win a race. He survived the loudest stadium in alpine skiing, released months of pressure, and reminded the slalom world that when everything is on the line, he is still capable of owning the biggest night on the calendar.
Race Results
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Race Analysis: Podium Contenders and Top 30 North American and British Skiers
About the Author: Peter Lange
