Unheralded French skier Paco Rassat secured his maiden World Cup victory in Gurgl, Austria, by dominating the second slalom of the Olympic season with an impressive second run. Rassat’s win followed his sixth-place finish in the season opener in Levi, Finland, just a week earlier.
Expressing his disbelief at his achievement, Rassat mentioned, “I never thought this was achievable.” The timing of his breakthrough, less than three months before the Milan Cortina Winter Games, couldn’t have been better. “My current focus is excelling in the World Cup to secure a spot at the Olympics,” he stated.
Competing in chilly but sunny conditions in the Austrian Alps, Rassat initially ranked 14th after the first run but delivered a standout performance in the second run, finishing 0.07 seconds ahead of Armand Marchant from Belgium, who claimed the nation’s inaugural podium in Alpine skiing’s World Cup. Atle Lie McGrath of Norway, the leader after the first run, slipped to third place, trailing Rassat by 0.09 seconds.
Overwhelmed by his victory, Rassat shared, “This is incredible. Today, my dream has become a reality, and it’s amazing.” Specializing in the slalom discipline, Rassat, the son of a ski instructor, began skiing at a young age. Making his World Cup debut in January 2022, he achieved his first top-10 result three years later in Wengen, Switzerland.
Celebrating his triumph with his parents present at the race, Rassat expressed, “It means a lot to have my parents here. They have been instrumental in my skiing journey.” Turning 27 recently, Rassat’s win propelled him to the top of both the slalom and overall standings after three events.
While Marco Odermatt, the four-time overall champion, won the season’s giant slalom opener in Austria, he does not participate in slalom events. Eduard Hallberg of Finland, who shared second place after the first run, unfortunately lost balance in a turn and fell before the finish line. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who secured Brazil’s first Alpine skiing World Cup victory last week, finished 10th, and French Olympic champion Clement Noel placed 12th.
The men’s World Cup will continue with its first speed race of the season, a super-G in Copper Mountain, Colorado, following the women’s slalom event scheduled for the next day on the same hill.