Norway’s Timon Haugan and Henrik Kristoffersen: GEPA photos
Hafjell Males’s World Cup Slalom: Who’s Racing, Why, When, and The right way to Watch
An Historic Venue
Hafjell has a wealthy historical past in alpine snowboarding. The Olympia-Løypa slope has hosted main occasions for many years. The venue was dwelling to the technical races on the 1994 Olympics and later held the World Cup Finals in 1996 and 2003. The final time a males’s World Cup slalom was contested on this slope, Italy’s Giorgio Rocca took the win.
Whereas the resort has continued to host high-level competitions, together with the Youth Olympics, Junior World Championships, and European Cup Finals, this marks a long-awaited return of World Cup slalom racing to Norwegian snow.
A Demanding Slalom Problem
The slalom course will start at an elevation of 440 meters and drop 195 meters to the end. Recognized for its rolling terrain and technical turns, Olympia-Løypa will take a look at the skiers’ agility, timing, and skill to adapt to the altering rhythm of the slope. The ultimate slalom earlier than the World Cup Finals guarantees intense competitors, with athletes trying to safe essential factors within the self-discipline standings.
A Take a look at Previous Hafjell Slalom Winners
Hafjell has not hosted a males’s World Cup slalom since 2003. Slovenia’s Rok Petrovič received the primary World Cup slalom there in 1986, adopted by Austria’s Michael Tritscher in 1991 and Thomas Sykora in 1996. The newest slalom winner within the area was Italy’s Giorgio Rocca in 2003.
Kvitfjell hosted the lads’s Olympic slalom in 1994, the place Austria’s Thomas Stangassinger claimed gold. Over 20 years later, Norway welcomes the world’s finest slalom specialists for a long-anticipated return to World Cup racing on Norwegian snow.
The Closing Common-Season Slalom
Sunday’s race in Hafjell marks the common season’s ultimate males’s World Cup earlier than the World Cup Finals. With simply the highest 25 within the self-discipline standings incomes a spot on the Finals, this race is essential for skiers preventing for his or her place within the season’s final showdown.
For some, this can be a ultimate probability to safe priceless factors and transfer up within the rankings. For others, it’s a chance to battle for the season title. With excessive stakes and the Olympia-Løypa slope proving to be a tricky take a look at, the ultimate common season slalom is about to ship intense motion earlier than the Finals.
2025 Season Slalom Podiums
Slalom Podium Rely by Nation
Norway (NOR) – 13 podiums
France (FRA) – 4 podiums
Switzerland (SUI) – 4 podiums
Austria (AUT) – 3 podiums
Brazil (BRA) – 2 podium
Bulgaria (BUL) – 1 podium
Sweden (SWE) – 1 podium
Croatia (CRO) – 1 podium
Italy (ITA) – 1 podium
9 nations have earned podiums to date this season.
Slalom Wins by Nation
4 nations have claimed victories on this season’s ten slalom races. Norway leads with 5 wins, adopted by France with 4.
Norway (5 wins) – Henrik Kristoffersen (2), Timon Haugan (2), Atle Lie McGrath (1)
France (4 wins) – Clément Noël (4)
Bulgaria (1 win) – Albert Popov (1)
Present Prime 15 2024-25 Season’s SL Rankings
Click on the photographs to enlarge
Evaluation of the Prime 15 within the Slalom Standings
After ten of 12 World Cup slalom races, the highest 15 racers come from 9 totally different nations:
International locations with Skiers within the Prime 15
Norway – 3 skiers
Switzerland – 3 skiers
France – 2 skiers
Austria – 2 skiers
Brazil – 1 skier
Germany – 1 skier
Bulgaria – 1 skier
Croatia – 1 skier
Sweden – 1 skier
Prime 5 with Deficit to Kristoffersen
With the unpredictability of slalom, all 5 nonetheless have an opportunity for the title, however it actually appears like Kristoffersen’s to lose.
A International Subject
Sixty-nine males from 20 international locations will compete within the World Cup slalom in Hafjell, Norway on Sunday, March 16.
I. Borisov (BUL) has set the primary run, and B. Brunner (GER) will set the second run.
North People with 2024-25 World Cup Slalom Factors
North People Racing Slalom in Hafjell
The Stifel U.S. Ski Crew
Ritchie’s Breakthrough Season
Benjamin Ritchie is having fun with a career-best slalom season. The 24-year U.S. males’s slalom podium drought stays, however his progress suggests change might be coming.
With 124 factors, he sits nineteenth within the standings and has secured his first World Cup Finals look. After scoring simply 55 factors over the previous three seasons mixed, this yr’s surge is exceptional.
Ritchie has earned two top-10 finishes, together with a season-best eighth in Madonna di Campiglio. With simply two races left, a podium stays difficult, however his momentum may carry a breakthrough.
Seymour’s Final Shot on the Finals
Jett Seymour, a College of Denver All-American, is the senior U.S. slalom skier in Hafjell. Ranked thirty fifth with a profession excessive of 44 factors, he wants a fourth-place end or higher to have a probability at the World Cup Finals qualification, trailing the highest 25 by 48 factors.
With only one race left, Seymour should ship a standout efficiency. He has a shot along with his uncooked velocity and aggressive snowboarding, however that is doubtless his ultimate World Cup race of the season.
Radamus In search of a Slalom Rating
River Radamus, the No. 1 U.S. GS skier, will race slalom in Hafjell earlier than shifting focus to the World Cup Finals in big slalom. Ranked 52nd in slalom, he goals to safe simply his second slalom rating of the season.
Luke Winters has returned to the World Cup with an improved begin place and can hope for his first World Cup factors of the season and a spot within the prime 60 on the slalom World Cup Begin Listing.
Canada’s Slalom Racers: Learn and Fournier
Erik Learn and Simon Fournier, former College of Denver All-People, will symbolize Canada.
Learn, competing in his eleventh straight season scoring World Cup slalom factors, has struggled and sits forty eighth within the standings. Regardless of a irritating yr, he goals to complete sturdy.
Fournier, in his ultimate World Cup race of the season, is chasing his first profession World Cup factors.
North American Males Racing Slalom
Bib 22, Benjamin Ritchie, Stifel USST, Inexperienced Mountain Valley Faculty, HEAD
Bib 33, Jett Seymour, Stifel USST, Steamboat Springs Winter Sports activities Membership, College of Denver
Bib 45, Erik Learn, CAN World Racing Academy, Banff Alpine Racers, College of Denver, Atomic
Bib 49, River Radamus, Stifel USST, Ski and Snowboard Membership Vail, SYNC Safety
Bib 54, Luke Winters, Stifel USST, Sugar Bowl Ski Academy, SYNC Shields
Bib 64, Simon Fournier, World Racing Academy, Mont Tremblant Ski Membership, College of Denver, SYNC
What to Watch For
With only one regular-season slalom left, the battle for World Cup Finals qualification provides extra stress. Skiers on the bubble should ship, whereas these on the prime hope to achieve momentum earlier than Solar Valley.
Henrik Kristoffersen holds the general slalom lead, however Clément Noël, Loïc Meillard, Timon Haugan, and Atle Lie McGrath nonetheless have a mathematical shot on the title. Barring catastrophe, it’s Kristoffersen’s to lose.
For North People, Benjamin Ritchie has already secured his Finals spot, however Jett Seymour wants a variety of luck and a career-best consequence to sneak in. Erik Learn, River Radamus, and Simon Fournier will purpose to finish their slalom seasons on a excessive observe.
Unpredictability defines slalom—anticipate surprises, crashes, and dramatic lead modifications in Hafjell’s ultimate common season World Cup showdown.
How and When to Watch
The primary run kicks off at 4:30 a.m. Japanese and at 1:30 a.m. Pacific Time, with the second run set for 7:30 a.m. Japanese and 4:30 a.m. Pacific Time.
audiences can watch the race stay or as a replay on Ski and Snowboard Stay.
Sports activities lovers in Canada can watch the World Cup on CBC Sports activities.
Every day Program and First Run Begin Listing
Click on photos to enlarge or obtain
First Run Begin Listing
