Atle Lie McGrath / Wengen 2026 / GEPA pictures
Men’s slalom delivered again in Wengen. Pressure built from the opening second-run starter, the leader’s chair stayed occupied by a high bib for nearly the entire final run, and the last three skiers rewrote the race in front of a roaring crowd beneath the Lauberhorn.
In the end, Atle Lie McGrath absorbed it all. The defending champion skied last, managed risk with skill, and claimed first place for a second consecutive Wengen slalom victory and his second World Cup slalom win of the season.
Top Five — Wengen Men’s Slalom (Final Results)
- 1st — 🇳🇴 Atle Lie McGrath (NOR) — YOB 2000 — HEAD
- 2nd — 🇧🇷 Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA) — YOB 2000 — Atomic, Oakley
- 3rd — 🇳🇴 Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR) — YOB 1994
- 4th — 🇳🇴 Timon Haugan (NOR) — YOB 1996
- 5th — 🇦🇹 Michael Matt (AUT) — YOB 1993
World Cup Slalom Standings After Wengen (7 of 11)
- 🇳🇴 Atle Lie McGrath (NOR) — YOB 2000 — 372 pts — Leader — HEAD
- 🇧🇷 Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA) — YOB 2000 — 351 pts — –21 — Atomic, Oakley
- 🇫🇷 Clément Noël (FRA) — YOB 1997 — 343 pts — –29
- 🇫🇷 Paco Rassat (FRA) — YOB 1998 — 340 pts — –32 — HEAD
- 🇳🇴 Timon Haugan (NOR) — YOB 1996 — 330 pts — –42
With the victory, McGrath also moves into the lead of the 2026 World Cup slalom season standings, reshuffling a discipline that continues to change leaders with every race.
Second Run: Swiss Pressure and a Leader’s Chair That Wouldn’t Cool
The final run opened with commitment from the first starters. Eirik Hystad Solberg (NOR) attacked early and briefly controlled the leader’s chair, setting a tone that rewarded risk rather than caution.
Then came the moment that lit up the mountain.
Bib 44, Matthias Iten delivered a near-perfect run—dynamic, balanced, and decisive. He took the lead and held it through 17 consecutive skiers, each failed challenge sending another wave of noise through the Swiss crowd.
Iten’s performance stood as the fastest second run of the day and reshaped the race entirely.
Mistakes followed under pressure. Tommaso Saccardi (ITA) recorded the first DNF, and later the discipline leader Paco Rassat (FRA) skied out, guaranteeing a change in the red bib.
Big Second-Run Movers (↑ 8+ Positions)
- 🇨🇭 Matthias Iten (SUI) — YOB 1998 — ↑17 — HEAD
- 🇳🇴 Eirik Hystad Solberg (NOR) — YOB 1997 — ↑17
- 🇦🇹 Joshua Sturm (AUT) — YOB 1999 — ↑9 — Atomic
- 🇳🇴 Hans Grahl-Madsen (NOR) — YOB 2001 — ↑9 — HEAD
- 🇧🇪 Sam Maes (BEL) — YOB 1998 — ↑8 — Völkl
Early attackers rewrote the leaderboard as the hill demanded total commitment and punished minor mistakes.
Top Group Arrives, Pressure Peaks
When the fastest first-run skiers entered, the race tightened further.
Filip Zubčić, who started the day with bib 28, backed up his first-run charge and finished just 0.02 seconds shy of Iten. Manuel Feller (AUT) attacked aggressively but came up short.
Reigning Olympic champion Clément Noël started with a significant first-run advantage over Iten but could not dislodge the Swiss leader, amplifying the tension with each sector.
The Decisive Shift
Timon Haugan, who sat within a second of McGrath after the first run, finally broke Iten’s hold on the race. Haugan skied cleanly and aggressively, taking the lead by 0.54 and ending Iten’s remarkable stretch in the leader’s chair.
Moments later, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen raised the standard entirely. Starting with a small advantage over Haugan, the Brazilian delivered a run of aggression and intent, blasting into the lead by 1.06 seconds and taking control with three skiers remaining.
History and Friendship at the Top
Next out of the gate was Henrik Kristoffersen, who carried a narrow first-run advantage over Pinheiro Braathen. He gained time early, lost it through the middle, and crossed the line 0.34 back, eventually finishing 3rd.
The result carried historic weight. It marked the 100th World Cup podium of Kristoffersen’s career, placing him among a very small and elite group in alpine skiing history.
Swiss favorite Loïc Meillard, tied with Kristoffersen after the first run, could not match the pace and finished 0.83 back, locking Kristoffersen onto the podium and guaranteeing Pinheiro Braathen no worse than 2nd.
Last to go, Atle Lie McGrath skied with aggression rather than fear. He absorbed the pressure, managed risk and crossed the line in first to defend his Wengen title.
In the finish area, the emotion matched the moment. McGrath and Pinheiro Braathen—close friends despite racing under different flags—shared a genuine celebration that reflected respect, history, and the joy of competing at the highest level.
McGrath: Nerves, Risk, and Delivering Under Pressure
Atle Lie McGrath admitted the pressure was real returning to Wengen as the defending champion.
“I can’t believe it,” McGrath said. “I felt so nervous today, especially leading here again. The crowd here is insane.”
He said the day came down to mindset and full commitment, even as the risk level climbed.
“I saw something that said, would you rather take 10 risks and get nine of them, or take 100 risks and get 10?” McGrath said. “I was skiing 100 risks today, and I got one of them.”
Once Lucas Pinheiro Braathen took control of the race, McGrath knew hesitation wasn’t an option.
“I know Lucas too well,” he said. “When he skis fast, I really have to go. That was one of my best second runs of my career.”
The victory carried extra meaning because of who stood beside him on the podium.
“When Lucas and I are on the podium together, it’s pretty freaking special,” McGrath said. “He beat me in Adelboden in 2023, and now it’s me in front of him. That was a lot of fun.”
In the finish area, the emotion matched the moment. McGrath and Pinheiro Braathen—close friends despite racing under different flags—shared a genuine celebration that reflected respect, history, and the joy of competing at the highest level.
Kristoffersen: 100 Podiums and Running on Empty
Kristoffersen said the milestone came under difficult circumstances after a week of illness.
“I just tried to ski, to be honest,” he said. “Today it was just technical skiing because I had no energy, especially on the second run.”
“It was very tough. I’ve been in bed for six days. I haven’t been in ski boots since Adelboden,” he said.
Despite that, he called the result deeply satisfying.
“In the end it’s a big achievement for me,” Kristoffersen said. “It’s a very nice hill with a lot of spectators. I’m very satisfied with the day overall.”
Braathen: Skiing With Heart
Pinheiro Braathen said staying true to his approach remains central to his success.
“At the end of the day, I’m trying to wake up every single day and ski with my heart and have fun,” he said.
“That’s easier said than done on a race day, especially on a classic like Wengen,” he added. “But when I ski for fun, I ski fast.”
“I’m immensely proud,” Braathen said. “What an honour it is to share the podium with my good friend Atle again.”
Final Notes
- Matthias Iten finishes 6th, completing one of the biggest crowd-pleasing charges of the season.
- Norway places three skiers inside the top four, reinforcing its depth in men’s slalom.
- McGrath leaves Wengen as the slalom standings leader in an Olympic-season discipline that remains wide open.
Men’s slalom never fails to entertain—and Wengen delivered every ounce of drama it promises.
Race Results
Click images to enlarge
Second-Run Analysis: Top Three and Iten
About the Author: Peter Lange
