Atle Lie Mcgrath. Photo: GEPA pictures

Atle Lie McGrath is out for the rest of the World Championships due to an injury sustained during a fall in Thursday’s men’s super-G competition. He is the second Norwegian medal contender who misses competitions during the ongoing championships.

McGrath fell right after recording a third intermediate time of 31.39 seconds, 0.14 seconds behind leader James Crawford, on today’s challenging super-G course in Courchevel, France. McGrath’s skis went out in a split before he was flipped over on his back, tumbling, and slid down the hill. After stopping and being able to stand up, he skied slowly down to the finish area. Once out of his skis, he limped into an examination room near the finish area.

Left knee

According to a Norwegian Ski Federation press release, McGrath suffered a strain in his left knee during the fall. After the Norwegian Alpine Ski Team’s health personnel examined him, it was decided that McGrath will not compete in the rest of the World Championships. He will travel back to Norway to recover. 

McGrath sustained another injury in the same knee during a World Cup giant slalom race in Adelboden, Switzerland, in January 2021. That injury resulted in an injury break for the rest of that season. Since his comeback in the fall of 2021, McGrath has secured five World Cup podiums, including the victory in last spring’s World Cup Finals slalom competition in Meribel, France, one of the World Championship arenas. The men’s World Championship slalom will take place on Feb. 19 in neighboring Courchevel. This time, sadly without McGrath. 

McGrath’s first World Cup podium, a second place, came in the Alta Badia, Italy giant slalom World Cup in December 2020, only weeks before he injured his left knee the first time.

Teammate and great friend, Norwegian Lucas Braathen, also injured his knee in the Adelboden World Cup race in 2021. Since then, Braathen has also returned with impressive results, including holding the lead in the World Cup slalom standings this season.

Right before the ongoing World Championships, Braathen, a medal contender in several events, suffered acute appendicitis. He underwent surgery on January 31. Braathen’s stitches are now out and he is working to return in time for the World Championship slalom competition in 10 days.

Solid skiing

McGrath delivered solid skiing at the start of Thursday’s super-G course and was believed to have a good chance at handling the technical turns towards the end of the super-G. McGrath is an excellent technical skier, among other things, known for his ability to ski clean, strong turns.

The 22-year-old placed fifth in Tuesday’s World Championship combined competition. In December 2022, McGrath amazed the ski racing world with his fifth-place super-G finish in Beaver Creek, Colo. – his first-ever World Cup super-G competition.

Canadian Crawford won Thursday’s super-G World Champion title and a gold medal. Norwegian Aleksander Aamodt Kilde followed 0.01 second behind in second place. Frenchman Alexis Pinturault, racing in his hometown, finished third. Pinturault won the men’s combined gold medal two days earlier.