Industry News
Alexander Steen Olsen of Norway claimed his second Audi FIS Ski World Cup title of the season and the third of his career with a victory on a shortened Giant Slalom course at Schladming, Austria, on Tuesday night, January 28. Heavy rainfall and snowfall earlier in the day forced organizers to apply large amounts of salt to maintain course conditions. In response, race officials shortened the course by 15 gates, adding another layer of unpredictability for the athletes competing under the floodlights.
Steen Olsen thrived in the challenging conditions, drawing on his experience skiing in similar weather in Norway. His first-run performance positioned him well, and he executed a composed yet aggressive second run to secure the win. He was joined on the podium by fellow Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen in second place, marking the first time in history that two Norwegians have shared a Schladming Giant Slalom World Cup podium. “It was either I can do it or it will not be my day,” Steen Olsen said after the race. “I just accepted that and really focused on skiing the tracks and not caring about the gates so much. It’s easy to lean into the gates, but the tracks are far away, and you don’t get pressure on the skis.”
His win in Schladming was especially meaningful after struggling in slalom races earlier this season. Steen Olsen had finished fourth in the Schladming Giant Slalom in both 2023 and 2024, making Tuesday’s victory a long-awaited breakthrough. “That was so extremely nice after a tough Slalom period, to finally get a super good day,” he said. “Especially here in the rain in Schladming, it’s awesome.”
Kristoffersen, despite a solid performance, made small errors toward the end of his second run that prevented him from overtaking Steen Olsen. His second-place finish marked his 92nd World Cup podium, tying him with Austria’s Benjamin Raich for the fifth-most career podiums in men’s World Cup history. “First of all, congratulations to Alexander – amazing second run,” Kristoffersen said. “I feel a little sorry for Loic because he skied really well. Both Alexander and Loic are invited to my wedding this summer, so they are really good friends. It would have been cool with all three on the podium, but of course, congratulations to Marco who did a really good second run. When you have that many wins, it’s not luck.”
Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt, who won this race last year after jumping from 11th place to first with a dominant second run, could not replicate that performance. After sitting in a tie for 12th following an error-prone first run, he fought back in the second run but ultimately finished third, just six-tenths of a second off the lead. His result narrowly edged out countryman Loic Meillard, who finished fourth by a mere one-hundredth of a second. “I was probably the luckiest guy of the day. It was such a tight race, unbelievably tight. Big, big luck on my side,” Odermatt said. “The conditions have been very difficult, obviously. We are not used to skiing in the rain, and the slope was tough to ski. You had to change your setup and also your mindset a little bit.”
Last year’s overall season winner is known for balancing multiple disciplines, coming into Tuesday’s race fresh off a Super-G victory in Kitzbühel and a sixth-place finish in the Downhill over the weekend. “That’s the big challenge for an all-rounder. If you’re on Downhill skis for two weeks and then have one day to switch to GS turns and mindset and everything, it’s not easy. So I’ll take this podium,” Odermatt added.
River Radamus was the lone U.S. skier to finish both runs, with his 12th-place result marking his best World Cup giant slalom finish of the season. Radamus tied for 12th with Brazilian-Norwegian skier Lucas Braathen. Radamus’ teammates Patrick Kenney, Isaiah Nelson, Bridger Gile, and Cooper Puckett were unable to advance, however, the race provided valuable experience on one of the tour’s most challenging and unpredictable tracks. With the World Championships approaching, Radamus’ performance in Schladming signals a potential upswing in form as he looks to build momentum on the international stage.
With yesterday’s victory, Steen Olsen moved into second place in the Giant Slalom season standings, overtaking Kristoffersen. Odermatt still leads the standings by 71 points, while Kristoffersen sits just 10 points behind Steen Olsen in third.
The races at Schladming continue today with a Slalom race.
