Norwegian skier Lucas Braathen has stunned race favorites by posting the fastest time in the opening run of a men’s World Cup slalom
KITZBUEHEL, Austria —
Norwegian skier Lucas Braathen stunned race favorites by posting the fastest time in the opening run of a men’s World Cup slalom on Sunday.
Wearing start bib No. 34, Braathen mastered a difficult course set to build a lead of 0.33 seconds over Daniel Yule.
Yule, who won the classic slalom in Adelboden in his native Switzerland two weeks ago, was chasing his third win of the season.
Austrians Michael Matt and Marco Schwarz were third and fourth, respectively.
Henrik Kristoffersen, who leads the slalom and the overall World Cup standings, was eighth and had 0.75 seconds to make up on his leading Norwegian teammate.
Clement Noel of France was trailing by 0.78 in ninth, a week after he triumphed in Wengen.
In only his second season on the World Cup, the 19-year-old Braathen has racked up four top-10 results, led by his fifth place in a parallel giant slalom in Alta Badia in December.
A year ago Braathen won two medals, in super-G and Alpine combined, at the junior world championships in Val di Fassa.
The slalom is the last event of the 80th edition of the traditional Hahnenhamm races.
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