The men’s Giant Slalom at the World Cup Finals in Hafjell, Norway, delivered high drama on Tuesday, March 24, with Lucas Pinheiro Braathen taking both the race victory and the season-long Crystal Globe. Switzerland’s Loïc Meillard finished second, while Norway’s Atle Lie McGrath completed the podium in third.
- Related: Lucas Braathen Wins Giant Slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, and Heats Up the Crystal Globe Race
With the Giant Slalom globe still undecided heading into the final race, all eyes were on Marco Odermatt—but the discipline leader’s early exit cracked the race wide open and shifted momentum firmly in Braathen’s favor.
Run 1: Odermatt Falters, Braathen Seizes Control
Odermatt opened the race under flat light conditions at Hafjell but immediately looked uncomfortable. Struggling to absorb the terrain, he made a major mistake in the opening sector before skidding below a gate after a blind transition—resulting in a shocking DNF that blew the race and the Crystal Globe battle wide open.
Austria’s Stefan Brennsteiner capitalized early, setting a strong benchmark of 1:11.46 that would hold as the second-fastest time of the run. Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen in bib 3 couldn’t match that pace, bleeding time across every split and finishing more than a second back.
Then came Braathen in bib 4, skiing to the sound of “Samba de Janeiro” with precision and flow. It was a tight margin, but he steadily built his advantage, finishing 0.21 seconds ahead of Brennsteiner to claim the fastest first run.
Meillard slotted into third, 0.63 seconds off the lead, while Germany’s Fabian Gratz impressed in fourth—continuing a breakout season. McGrath rounded out the top five, just under a second behind Braathen, keeping himself in podium contention on home snow.
Further back, Austria’s Marco Schwarz qualified sixth, followed by Norway’s Timon Haugan in seventh. France’s Léo Anguenot and Belgium’s Sam Maes shared eighth.
Team USA’s River Radamus finished 17th, the lone North American in the field.
Run 2: Braathen Delivers Under Pressure
With Odermatt out, the crystal globe was up for grabs with a battle between Loic Meillad and Lucas Braathen. Braathen, however, had the upper hand—he just needed fourth place to secure the globe, while Meillard had to win and hope that Braathen didn’t podium.
Run 2 was opened by Austria’s Patrick Feuerstein, who set the pace with 1:11.31 — 5 seconds faster than his first run — to set a combined time of 2:27.49 as a benchmark. Radamus was one of the first few starters, starting run 2 as the seventh starter. He delivered a fantastic second run, ultimately boosting him from 17th to 14th. The lead passed quickly from racer to racer, and the margins were getting tigther and tighter.
Timon Haugan delivered the fastest run 2 of the day, briefly leading with a combined time of 2:21.64 — nearly six seconds faster than Feuerstein, a lot at this level of competition. He was unseated by his teammate Atle Lie McGrath, who put the pressure on with a fantastic second run that was 0.12 seconds faster. McGrath ultimately managed to secure a podium as Germany’s Gratz and Austria’s Brennsteiner lost time on the Havfjell course.
Meillard, third after run one, laid down a clean and aggressive second run, carrying speed into the final pitch to take the lead and apply pressure on Braathen. But Braathen answered. All eyes were on Braathen, the final skier to drop. Holding a narrow 0.21-second lead, he needed only a podium finish to secure the Crystal Globe. Showing composure beyond his years, Braathen skied a controlled, technically sharp run, maintaining rhythm and balance throughout. It never looked in doubt. He crossed the line 0.58 seconds ahead of Meillard, sealing both the race victory and the Giant Slalom Crystal Globe.
The win marked a historic milestone: Braathen secured Brazil’s first-ever Alpine skiing Crystal Globe, adding to what has already been a landmark season that included Olympic gold at the 2026 Winter Games. “It’s overwhelming,” Braathen said after the race. “To be able to look at this Globe with the Brazilian flag on my chest is something I’m immensely proud of.” It is his second career discipline title, having previously won the slalom globe in 2023 while representing Norway.
Meanwhile, Odermatt—despite the disappointment—remained reflective. “My plan was to take the risk… and it didn’t work out,” he said. “That’s how ski racing works.”
With one race remaining in Hafjell, Braathen’s remarkable late-season form has not only delivered a Crystal Globe but set up one final showdown in slalom—where he and McGrath, former teammates and longtime friends, will go head-to-head once more.
