McGrath Takes Wengen Slalom Win, Kristoffersen Claims 100th podium

Norwegian skier Atle Lie McGrath secured his second straight slalom victory in Wengen on Sunday, taking the lead in the discipline standings of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season.

McGrath dominated both runs on the iconic Lauberhorn slope with a winning time of 1:45.99  successfully defending his title from last year's race on the same course. The 25-year-old world silver medalist built his advantage with a strong opening run before holding off a determined challenge in the second.

Kristoffersen was in second place behind Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA/Atomic) when he crossed the line with two athletes still remaining at the top of the piste; Loic Meillard (SUI/Rossignol) and McGrath.

Meillard was next out, but to the disappointment of the home crowd he was unable to better the time of Kristoffersen, which ensured that the 31-year-old would become the fourth man in history to record 100 career podiums. Kristoffersen is now only one podium finish behind Marc Girardelli (LUX) who is third on an all-time list led by Ingemar Stenmark (SWE) with 163 podiums.

Meillard's finish also meant Pinheiro Braathen was only one run away from notching a first Slalom World Cup victory in history for Brazil, with his close friend and former team-mate McGrath the only one able to stop him.

Sadly for Pinheiro Braathen, McGrath's strong form continued with a slick and comfortable error-free run down the course despite the pressure, crossing the line in a time of 1:45.99 to push Pinheiro Braathen down to second (+0.47) and Kristoffersen into third (+0.81).

The victory marks McGrath's fifth career slalom win and his second of the season, following his triumph in Alta Badia, Italy last month. McGrath expressed his nerves afterward, calling it one of the best second runs of his career.

With the win, McGrath moved into first place in the slalom World Cup standings with 372 points , opening a 21-point lead over Braathen. The race also saw disappointment for France's Paco Rassat, who entered wearing the discipline leader's red bib but failed to finish his second run.

McGrath, who was born in the United States to an American father who competed at the 1988 Calgary Olympics and a Norwegian mother, has emerged as a favorite heading into the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, which open on February 6.