Alexander Steen Olsen / Schlaming champion 2025 / GEPA pictures
Schladming’s men’s World Cup giant slalom is about Marco Odermatt — and Tuesday night on the Planai will be no different.
The Swiss star has owned the discipline for four straight winters, winning the season title in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, and he arrives in Austria leading the 2025–26 standings once again. He is the favorite every time the start wand opens. Still, he has been beaten often enough to keep the race wide open, especially on a short-course venue that demands total commitment under pressure.
Ski Racing offers the full Schladming start list and program, along with details on how and when to watch
Men’s Giant Slalom Podiums — 2026 Season
| Race | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sölden | 🇨🇭 Marco Odermatt (SUI) | 🇦🇹 Marco Schwarz (AUT) | 🇳🇴 Atle Lie McGrath (NOR) |
| Stifel Copper Cup – Copper Mountain | 🇦🇹 Stefan Brennsteiner (AUT) | 🇳🇴 Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR) | 🇭🇷 Filip Zubčić (CRO) |
| Beaver Creek | 🇨🇭 Marco Odermatt (SUI) | 🇮🇹 Alex Vinatzer (ITA) | 🇳🇴 Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR) |
| Val d’Isère | 🇨🇭 Loïc Meillard (SUI) | 🇨🇭 Luca Aerni (SUI) | 🇨🇭 Marco Odermatt (SUI) |
| Alta Badia | 🇦🇹 Marco Schwarz (AUT) | 🇧🇷 Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA) | 🇦🇹 Stefan Brennsteiner (AUT) |
| Adelboden | 🇨🇭 Marco Odermatt (SUI) | 🇧🇷 Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA) | 🇫🇷 Léo Anguenot (FRA) |
Top Five — Giant Slalom Season Standings (After Adelboden)
- 1st — 🇨🇭 Marco Odermatt (SUI) — YOB 1997 — 400 GS points — Stöckli
- 2nd — 🇦🇹 Stefan Brennsteiner (AUT) — YOB 1991 — –95
- 3rd — 🇳🇴 Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR) — YOB 1994 — –131
- 4th — 🇧🇷 Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA) — YOB 2000 — –133 — Atomic, Oakley
- 5th — 🇦🇹 Marco Schwarz (AUT) — YOB 1995 — –148 — Atomic
Odermatt sits on top again, but the fight behind him is tight. Brennsteiner has been the closest challenger in the points race, while Kristoffersen and Braathen remain close enough to turn one aggressive performance into a real standings swing.
Schladming: The Planai’s biggest stage
The Planai is one of the sport’s most dramatic venues, and the atmosphere is incomparable in Schladming. The finish funnels into Planai Stadium, a packed arena that feels more like a major-league playoff environment than a ski-race finish line.
That energy is a huge part of what makes the Schladming stop special. The men’s GS runs Tuesday, and the spectacle continues Wednesday with the event’s iconic slalom.
First seeded start group: Top Seven WCSL (ordered by bib)
These seven racers make up the first start group on Tuesday night — the men most likely to control the rhythm of the race early.
- Bib 1 — 🇳🇴 Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR) — YOB 1994 — WCSL GS Rank: 2nd
- Bib 2 — 🇦🇹 Stefan Brennsteiner (AUT) — YOB 1991 — WCSL GS Rank: 4th
- Bib 3 — 🇧🇷 Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA) — YOB 2000 — WCSL GS Rank: 5th — Atomic, Oakley
- Bib 4 — 🇨🇭 Loïc Meillard (SUI) — YOB 1996 — WCSL GS Rank: 3rd
- Bib 5 — 🇦🇹 Marco Schwarz (AUT) — YOB 1995 — WCSL GS Rank: 6th — Atomic
- Bib 6 — 🇳🇴 Atle Lie McGrath (NOR) — YOB 2000 — WCSL GS Rank: 7th — HEAD
- Bib 7 — 🇨🇭 Marco Odermatt (SUI) — YOB 1997 — WCSL GS Rank: 1st — Stöckli
Kristoffersen will be the first major contender onto the slope, but the race will not settle until the last of the seven — Odermatt — attacks the Planai with the pressure fully on.
🇺🇸 Stifel U.S. Ski Team — Men’s Giant Slalom Entry
The U.S. brings seven men into Tuesday night’s race, led by River Radamus in the elite start group 8-15. Behind him, the team includes NCAA standouts, a World Cup points scorer in Sarchett, and a rookie making his debut at one of the sport’s most electric venues.
- Bib 14 — 🇺🇸 River Radamus (USA) — YOB 1998 — WC GS Season Rank: 9th
- Bib 31 — 🇺🇸 Ryder Sarchett (USA) — YOB 2000 — WC GS Season Rank: 31st — NCAA All-American
- Bib 48 — 🇺🇸 Bridger Gile (USA) — YOB 1999 — HEAD, Oakley
- Bib 53 — 🇺🇸 Isaiah Nelson (USA) — YOB 2001 — SHRED
- Bib 59 — 🇺🇸 Cooper Puckett (USA) — YOB 2003 — HEAD
- Bib 62 — 🇺🇸 Patrick Kenney (USA) — YOB 1997 — Völkl/Marker, SHRED — NCAA All-American
- Bib 64 — 🇺🇸 Bradshaw Underhill (USA) — YOB 2000 — HEAD — NCAA All-American (World Cup rookie) — Independent (Apex Academy)
Underhill’s debut is the kind that earns attention. Schladming is a pressure cooker even for veterans, and stepping into the Planai spotlight for a first World Cup start is a rare test.
🇨🇦 Canada — Men’s Giant Slalom Entry
Canada’s entry is straightforward: one racer, one experienced presence, and one goal — charge hard and excel on a demanding track.
- Bib 44 — 🇨🇦 Erik Read (CAN) — YOB 1991 — Independent — Atomic
What to watch for Tuesday night
Schladming’s shorter giant slalom course never rewards caution. The fastest racers attack the fall line and commit to every gate with full confidence, because the margin between winning and losing is always measured in hundredths.
Odermatt has been the standard for years. Still, the Planai has a way of tightening the fight. One mistake, one late adjustment, one moment of hesitation — and the night can belong to someone else.
Course setters — First run: Lars Kristoffersen (NOR) Second run: Julien Vuignier (SUI)
Men’s GS Race
The men’s giant slalom is set for Tuesday, January 27th. Run one begins at 11:45 a.m. ET / 8:45 a.m. PT, followed by run two at 2:45 p.m. ET / 11:45 a.m. PT. Fans in Great Britain can tune in at 16:45 for the first run and 19:45 for the second.
How to Watch
- 🇺🇸 United States: Live and replay coverage on Peacocktv
- 🇨🇦 Canada: Live stream on CBC Sports
- 🇬🇧 Great Britain: Live coverage on Discovery+
Daily Program
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First Run Starlist
About the Author: Peter Lange
