Olympics
Heartbreak defined the men’s Olympic slalom in Bormio today, where more than half the field failed to finish and Norway’s Atle Lie McGrath saw his gold-medal dream vanish in a single straddled gate on run 2. Gold went instead to Loic Meillard from Switzerland, silver to Fabio Gstrein, and bronze to Henrik Kristoffersen.
Run 1
Heavy snowfall and flat light created treacherous conditions on a course that, on paper, wasn’t overly demanding. The result? Carnage. Of the 96 starters, 50 recorded DNFs—more than 50% of the field eliminated before the second run. Even the sport’s elite weren’t spared.
McGrath carried a commanding 0.59-second lead from the first run over Switzerland’s Loïc Meillard, with Austria’s Fabio Gstrein sitting third, 0.94 seconds back. Only one other skier—Norway’s Timon Haugan—was within a second of the leader after Run 1. By slalom standards, where hundredths typically separate podium spots, the gaps were enormous. By ninth place, the deficit had already ballooned past two seconds.
Paco Rassat was the first top contender to end with a DNF, starting with bib 3. Brazil’s Lucas Braathen, fresh off a Giant Slalom victory two days earlier, followed shortly after. Braathen had been leading the upper section before sliding out, ending his bid for a second medal. The list of high-profile DNFs kept growing: Sweden’s Eduard Hallberg, Austria’s Manuel Feller, Italy’s Alex Vinatzer, Bulgaria’s Albert Popov, and Team USA’s River Radamus all failed to finish. By the end of Run 1, the total DNFs had hit 50.
Run 2
With improved weather and snowfall easing, the second run offered cleaner conditions. As is tradition, the top 30 skiers started in reverse order, but realistically only the top seven were still in medal contention given the massive time gaps.
Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen, sitting sixth and 1.59 seconds back after Run 1, delivered a stunning charge. Posting the second-fastest second run of the day, he vaulted into podium position, eventually securing bronze—his third Olympic medal.
Gstrein then threw down the fastest second run of the race, launching himself into the lead with only two skiers remaining. It marked a remarkable redemption for the 28-year-old Austrian, who had previously been relegated from Austria’s top national squad.
Meillard followed and matched Gstrein’s second-run time to the millisecond. Thanks to his 0.35-second cushion from Run 1, the Swiss skier moved into first by exactly that margin.
All eyes then turned to the last starter, the fastest from run 1, Atle Lie McGrath. As last starter, the Norwegian carried the weight of expectation. But near the top section, on what appeared to be a manageable gate, he straddled—an immediate DNF.
In a raw display of emotion, McGrath hurled his ski poles over a nearby fence before skiing toward the far edge of the course, removing both skis, and trudging toward the forest. The stunned crowd and commentators looked on as he lay down in the snow, absorbing the collapse of his Olympic dream. It was a devastating scene—and a reminder of the immense pressure these athletes shoulder on the sport’s biggest stage. To make matters worse, McGrath’s grandfather had died on the day of the opening ceremony. The weight of it all was just too much for this 25-year-old ski racer.
With McGrath out, Meillard claimed Olympic gold—his third medal of these Games after bronze in Giant Slalom and silver in the team combined. For Haugan, who had been fourth after Run 1, the day brought more Norwegian heartbreak as he missed the podium by just 0.29 seconds.
The men’s slalom marked the final alpine race on the men’s calendar. The Olympic alpine program concludes with the women’s slalom on Wednesday, February 18.
