Alte Lie McGrath / Wengen / GEPA picture
McGrath Leads Wengen Slalom First Run as High Bibs Rewrite the Board
Fastest Five — First Run
- Bib 5 — 🇳🇴 Atle Lie McGrath (NOR) — 2000 — 52.89 — HEAD
- Bib 1 — 🇳🇴 Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR) — 1994 — +0.40
- Bib 2 — 🇨🇭 Loïc Meillard (SUI) — 1996 — +0.40
- Bib 7 — 🇧🇷 Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA) — 2000 — +0.50 — Atomic, Oakley
- Bib 4 — 🇳🇴 Timon Haugan (NOR) — 1996 — +0.900 — +0.50
Only five skiers finished within one second of the fastest time, clearly defining the podium window heading into the decisive second run.
Atle Lie McGrath delivered an aggressive run skiing the challenging terrain to lead Sunday’s men’s World Cup slalom in Wengen, stopping the clock in 52.89. The Norwegian, also last season’s Wengen slalom winner, built momentum through the middle of the course and separated himself decisively in the final sector, where his power and timing stood out on one of the tour’s most punishing slopes.
Running first, Henrik Kristoffersen set the early benchmark at 53.29. Bib two Loïc Meillard matched the Norwegian exactly, tying Kristoffersen at +0.40 and showing both men arrived prepared to contend.
Bib three Clément Noël, a two-time Wengen winner and reigning Olympic champion, attacked aggressively but paid for costly errors, crossing +1.39 back. Timon Haugan, who led the slalom standings earlier this season, followed at +0.90, before McGrath reset the race from bib five.
Fan favorite Lucas Pinheiro Braathen pushed hard in pursuit of his childhood friend but crossed +0.50, firmly in podium contention heading into the second run.
DNFs Mount as the Set Bites
The Wengen slalom offered no margin. The DNF count climbed quickly, with seven DNFs among the top 30 starters, opening the door for a significant number of high-bib breakthroughs.
Manuel Feller (bib 10) was the lone second-seed skier to stay in touch, finishing seventh at +1.51. The rest of the group failed to threaten the leaders.
Zubčić Delivers One of the Runs of the Day
Just ahead of the high-bib surge, Filip Zubčić 🇭🇷 produced one of the most impressive first runs. Starting from bib 28, Zubčić skied with strength, balance, and skill through the demanding middle pitch to slot inside the top 10 at +1.60. On a course that punished hesitation, his execution stood out and positioned him as a legitimate mover heading into the second run.
High-Bib Impact — Nine Qualify from Bib 31 or Higher
- 9th — Bib 31 — 🇭🇷 Istok Rodes (CRO) — 1996 — +1.82
13th — Bib 35 — 🇦🇹 Adrian Pertl (AUT) — 1996 — +1.99
18th — Bib 53 — 🇸🇪 Gustav Wissting (SWE) — 2005 — +2.38
19th — Bib 34 — 🇩🇪 Sebastian Holzmann (GER) — 1993 — +2.40
20th — Bib 59 — 🇮🇹 Tommaso Saccardi (ITA) — 2001 — +2.46
22nd — Bib 44 — 🇨🇭 Matthias Iten (SUI) — 1999 — +2.51
24th — Bib 49 — 🇸🇪 Fabian Ax Swartz (SWE) — 2004 — +2.53
28th — Bib 43 — 🇦🇹 Joshua Sturm (AUT) — 2001 — +2.65
29th — Bib 41 — 🇳🇴 Hans Grahl-Madsen (NOR) — 2003 — +2.74
30th — Bib 39 — 🇧🇪 Sam Maes (BEL) — 1998 — +2.76
The scale of the charge was striking: ten skiers from bib 31 or higher advanced, led by Rodes and capped by Saccardi as the highest bib to qualify.
North America & GBR: Narrow Misses Across the Board
It was a difficult opening run for North America and Great Britain.
Benjamin Ritchie 🇺🇸 tied for 31st (+2.77), the first skier outside qualification. Erik Read 🇨🇦, racing independently in his 200th World Cup start, finished 33rd (+2.85).
For Great Britain, Luca Carrick‑Smith 🇬🇧 was the fastest on the day, placing 34th (+2.88) and continuing a trend of steady progress. Billy Major 🇬🇧 finished 41st (+3.14), while Laurie Taylor 🇬🇧 placed 42nd (+3.28).
Dave Ryding 🇬🇧 did not finish in what marked his final World Cup slalom start in Wengen. Jett Seymour 🇺🇸 finished 44th (+3.35), and Cooper Puckett 🇺🇸 skied out.
No USA, CAN, or GBR skier advanced to the second run, the first time this season that Great Britain failed to qualify a slalom skier after multiple races with three athletes scoring points.
Looking Ahead
McGrath carries both the lead and confidence of a defending Wengen winner, but the narrow margins at the top — and the unprecedented surge from high bibs — set the stage for a volatile second run on one of alpine skiing’s most unforgiving hills.
First Run top thirty
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First Run Analysis of the fastest three, North American and British Qualifiers
About the Author: Peter Lange
