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Norwegian skier Atle Lie McGrath won the Wengen World Cup slalom Sunday for a second consecutive year and added to his status as a favourite for next month’s Olympics.
The United States-born McGrath added to his first-run advantage and finished 0.47 seconds ahead of good friend Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, the Norwegian-born skier now competing for Brazil, and 0.81 ahead of teammate Henrik Kristoffersen.
It was McGrath’s fifth career win and 19th podium on the World Cup circuit. He also took silver in slalom at last season’s world championships. It was his second win of the season after a slalom victory in Alta Badia, Italy, last month.
“It’s one of the legendary races, so to do it with Lucas and with Henrik is just insane,” McGrath said.
Atle Lie McGrath of Norway’s winning time of 1:45.99 gave him Sunday’s World Cup slalom win in Wengen, Switzerland.
Two more slaloms remain before the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics open on Feb. 6, with the men competing in Bormio.
McGrath’s father Felix competed for the U.S. at the 1988 Calgary Olympics in slalom and giant slalom. His mother is Norwegian and competed in cross-country skiing for the University of Vermont.
McGrath was careful on the opening gates during both runs and then accelerated on the steepest section of the Männlichen course to open up his advantage. In the finish area after both runs, he kicked off his ski and caught it like retired Swiss great Didier Cuche used to do.
“I saw some words that said, `Would you rather take 10 risks and get nine of them, or take a 100 risks and get ten of them?’ “I’m skiing a 100 risks and today I got one of them,” McGrath said. “That was one of the best second runs of my career.”
Watch the second run of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup men’s slalom competition from Wengen, Switzerland.
When the race was over, McGrath and Pinheiro Braathen, who are both 25 — they were born two days apart — shared a rollicking embrace.
“Thinking back to the days when we were young and skiing together, how much I had to push,” McGrath said. “I just pushed everything I had and tried to be a bit tactical. I really skied like I had no lead.”
There was also something to celebrate for Kristoffersen, who earned the 100th podium of his career.
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