Norwegian skier Atle Lie McGrath secured victory at the Wengen World Cup slalom on Sunday for the second year in a row, solidifying his position as a top contender for the upcoming Olympics. McGrath, who hails from the United States, maintained his lead from the first run and finished 0.47 seconds ahead of his close friend Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, a Norwegian skier now representing Brazil, and 0.81 seconds ahead of his teammate Henrik Kristoffersen.
This triumph marked McGrath’s fifth career win and his 19th podium finish on the World Cup circuit. He had previously claimed the silver medal in the slalom event at last season’s world championships and clinched his second victory of the season following a slalom win in Alta Badia, Italy, last month. McGrath expressed his excitement, stating, “It’s one of the legendary races, so to do it with Lucas and with Henrik is just insane.”
With two more slaloms left before the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics kick off on Feb. 6, the men’s competition will move to Bormio. McGrath comes from a family with a strong skiing background; his father, Felix, competed for the U.S. in the 1988 Calgary Olympics in slalom and giant slalom, while his Norwegian mother participated in cross-country skiing for the University of Vermont.
During the race, McGrath navigated the opening gates cautiously in both runs before accelerating on the steepest section of the Männlichen course to widen his lead. He celebrated his victory by mimicking the iconic move of retired Swiss skier Didier Cuche, catching his ski after kicking it off in the finish area. McGrath reflected on his performance, saying, “I’m skiing a 100 risks and today I got one of them. That was one of the best second runs of my career.”
The event concluded with a heartwarming embrace between McGrath and Pinheiro Braathen, both 25 years old and born just two days apart, reminiscing about their shared skiing journey from a young age. Kristoffersen also had a reason to celebrate, achieving his 100th career podium milestone.