Lucas Pinheiro Braathen claimed victory in the giant slalom at Kranjska Gora, keeping the battle for the Crystal Globe wide open.
The Podium
- 1. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA) 2:11.95
- 2. Loïc Meillard (SUI) +0.54 seconds
- 3. Stefan Brennsteiner (AUT) +0.80 seconds
Marco Odermatt started the giant slalom at Kranjska Gora as the first racer, but quickly found himself off pace. After five competitors, he sat in fifth place, trailing the leader by 0.92 seconds, a position he would maintain through the end of the first run. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen led the way, emerging as the only realistic challenger to Odermatt’s bid for the giant slalom Crystal Globe.
Odermatt knew a strong second run was needed to close the gap on Pinheiro Braathen, but his comeback attempt fell short. He lost valuable time in the latter half of the course, preventing a serious challenge. Pinheiro Braathen then secured the win with a dominant performance, gaining 55 points on Odermatt, who finished fifth. Despite the setback, Odermatt still leads the overall standings by 48 points with one race remaining – a third-place finish would guarantee him the small crystal globe.
The Swiss team wasn’t left empty-handed, however. Loïc Meillard delivered a solid second run after sitting third at the halfway point, overtaking Austrian Stefan Brennsteiner. He finished just over half a second behind winner Pinheiro Braathen. This marks the 25-year-old’s first giant slalom victory under the Brazilian flag.
Other Swiss Finishers
- 5. Marco Odermatt +1.33 seconds
- 14. Luca Aerni +2.41 seconds
- 15. Thomas Tumler +2.48 seconds
- 24. Fadri Janutin +3.17 seconds
Luca Aerni and Thomas Tumler also secured top-15 finishes for the Swiss team. Aerni was slightly faster than his teammate, despite dropping three places in the second run.
Fadri Janutin qualified for the second run for the first time this season, finishing 30th. He then gained six positions to finish 24th, earning his first World Cup points since December 2024.
What’s Next
A slalom race will be held in Kranjska Gora on Sunday. Following that, a speed weekend featuring two Super-G races and a downhill event is scheduled in Courchevel. The World Cup Finals will then take place in Lillehammer from March 21st to 25th.
Overview
