Atomic

Chamonix's Verte race venue buzzed with anticipation as the world's top racers geared up for a thrilling showdown. Amidst the towering peaks and eager spectators, French favorite Clement Noel vowed to dazzle his home crowd. And dazzle he did.

Seven GS races have already set the stage for a thrilling Kronplatz race. Lara Gut-Behrami of Switzerland leads the pack with 485 points, closely trailed by Italy's Federica Brignone with 460 points. The gap is a mere 25 points, making every turn on the ERTA slope crucial. Unfortunately, Shiffrin's and Grenier's crashes while racing in Cortina d'Ampezzo will mean they will miss the race in Kronplatz and likely eliminate them from the close battle for the season's GS title.

Mikaela Shiffrin, the champion 28-year-old American skiing sensation, faced a significant setback today in Cortina d'Ampezzo during the World Cup downhill race. As she catapulted off the course out of balance the crash unfolded.

Downhill Day 1 Preview: Shiffrin Returns to Downhill and Goggia Aims to Relive Victory in Cortina.

Linus Strasser is on a roll. He won his first World Cup of the season in Kitzbühel on Sunday, and on Wednesday night, he did it again in Schladming. He increased his advantage to (-0.28) during the second run. There are no bigger races in slalom skiing than those two. No matter what the rest of the season brings, he will consider 2024 his most successful. There are six slaloms left in the season, but it is clear there is a battle brewing for the title.

After the first seven racers completed their first runs, it was apparent that Germany's Linus Strasser had the hot hand in men's slalom. Strasser won the night slalom in 2022 and his third World Cup slalom on Sunday in Kitzbühel. Will his efforts tonight bring him his fourth? He has a (-0.10) advantage over Norway's Timon Haugan.

The big surprise of the evening came when Switzerland's Marco Odermatt crossed the finish without the lead. Notably, Odermatt has won all the GS races this season. Although he was fast in the first and last sectors, the superstar finds himself the 11th fastest (+0.98) behind Austrian star Manuel Feller. It will take an Odermatt miracle to find his way to the podium but Odermatt miracles are ordinary. It is likely, however, that the fatigue of the recent speed event demands could have negatively affected his performance. He might be human, after all.

The big surprise of the evening came when Switzerland's Marco Odermatt crossed the finish without the lead. Notably, Odermatt has won all the GS races this season. Although he was fast in the first and last sectors, the superstar finds himself the 11th fastest (+0.98) behind Austrian star Manuel Feller. It will take an Odermatt miracle to find his way to the podium but Odermatt miracles are ordinary. It is likely, however, that the fatigue of the recent speed event demands could have negatively affected his performance. He might be human, after all.

Stifel US Ski Team's Mikaela Shiffrin wins her 95th World Cup in the Jasná slalom. She is simply the best and has now accumulated 630 World Cup Slalom points this season. Now that Vlhová is out for the rest of the season, her lead over the next-best active skier is 228 points. It is her fifth slalom victory of the season. The woman has a fantastic feeling for winning; today, she used her first run advantage to perfection.

Today, the women welcomed their 5th World Cup GS winner of the season. The Swedish Olympic Champion Sara Hector, who recently earned her first slalom podium, dominated the day, winning by (-1.52).

France's Cyprien Sarrazin has won his second career World Cup downhill; this time, it is in Kitzbühel on the Streif. This season, he has delivered victories on the two most frightening downhills on the schedule. His career's first victory was on the Stelvio in Bormio, and now he assures he is among the legends by winning from the top in Kitzbühel.

Mikaela Shiffrin Flachau GEPA pictures/Harald Steiner Stifel US Ski Team’s Mikaela Shiffrin overcame a (+0.07)

Mikaela Shiffrin is gearing up for the Flachau Austria Night Slalom on Tuesday, January 16th. However, her focus isn't solely on the race; it's also on her boyfriend, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, a world-class skier who recently faced a challenging downhill crash at the Lauberhorn in Wengen, Switzerland.

Alte Lie McGrath GEPA pictures/Mario Buehner-Weinrauch Repeating the outcome of the Adelboden slalom a week

Get ready for a second exhilarating downhill showdown at the Men's World Cup on Saturday, January 13th, in Wengen, Switzerland. This event marks the third of four days of intense men's racing, featuring the iconic Lauberhorn downhill, the longest race on the entire World Cup tour. The anticipation is high, especially after the shorter Wengen downhill course proved to be a thrilling race on Thursday.

Today belongs to France's Cyprien Sarrazin. He earned his first World Cup super-G podium, a decisive victory. He is also the first French skier in 54 years to win a World Cup speed event in Wengen.

Poetically, Marco Odermatt has won his first career World Cup downhill and it was in his home country of Switzerland.

Prepare for an adrenaline-packed skiing spectacle as the Men's World Cup makes its way to Wengen, Switzerland, on Thursday, January 11th. This event kicks off four days of intense men's racing, featuring the Replacement Downhill, a makeup race for the canceled Beaver Creek, Colorado, race on December 2nd.