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Writer's pictureRaúl Revuelta

Lucas Braathen Wins first Alta Badia Giant Slalom in a 1-2 Norwegian Podium

Updated: Apr 10, 2023


Alta Badia 2023. Giant Slalom Podium. Lucas Braathen, Henrik Kristoffersen, Marco Odermatt
Lucas Braathen, Henrik Kristoffersen, Marco Odermatt. Picture: Erich Spiess / Red Bull Content Pool

After winning the first Slalom of the season held in Val d'Isére, the 22-year-old Norwegian has won today the first of two Giant Slaloms to be held in Alta Badia.

Braathen joined Henrik Kristoffersen and Alexis Pinturault as the only active male skiers to win a World Cup Slalom and Giant Slalom race in the same season.

It's Braathen's fourth victory and seventh podium in the World Cup.

"It's incredible. Growing up, watching Alta Badia as a kid, it's one of the favourites, for sure, it's arguably the coolest giant slalom slope in the world. I can't believe I'm victorious here. It's unbelievable, I'm going to remember this day forever", Braathen said.


Teammate Henrik Kristoffersen finished in second place 0.02 seconds behind Braathen.

"Of course when you are two-hundredths behind you are allowed to be frustrated. This is racing, we all want to win", said Kristoffersen.


Marco Odermatt rounded out the podium in third place (+0.10). After the first run on the Gran Risa, Odermatt was in ninth position 1.42 seconds behind the leader Zan Kranjec. After a risky full gas second run, Odermatt climbed six positions to finish on the podium. He now became the third man to reach 11 consecutive World Cup Giant Slalom podiums after ski racing legends Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden (22 straight) and Marcel Hirscher of Austria (18).

"I wasn't sure if this podium will happen today again after the first run. "It was difficult for me to find the right speed in the first run. I wanted to do better in the second run and simply attacking was the motto. Today (showed) once again that the Gran Risa is the hardest GS in the world", Odermatt said.



Andorra's Joan Verdu posted the fastest time of the second run, 1.20 seconds better than Odermatt, to record a career-best result. He finished in 12th position improving his only previous Top 30 result at the World Cup, a 17th position in Kranjska Gora last March.




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