MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO: Looking for his third win of the World Cup season, Lucas Braathen established a commanding lead in the opening run of the night slalom on the Canalone Miramonti course Thursday night. Braathen, a Norwegian, stood 0.42 seconds ahead of Loic Meillard of Switzerland and 0.50 ahead of Linus Strasser of Germany. Braathen won the opening slalom of the season 11 days ago in Val d’Isere, France, then was also first in a giant slalom in nearby Alta Badia last weekend.
“I like it here in Italy,” Braathen said. “It’s not often I can hear the fans while I’m skiing but I did this run. That’s a good feeling. I had to put on a good one for them.” Norwegians have won the last five slaloms stretching back to last season, with Henrik Kristoffersen and Atle Lie McGrath taking two each to end the last campaign before Braathen’s victory this month. Norwegians have also won this race the last two years with Kristoffersen in 2020 and Sebastian Foss-Solevaag in 2021. Daniel Yule, a two-time winner in Campiglio, and Kristoffersen, a three-time champion on the Canalone, stood fourth and fifth, respectively. Olympic slalom champion Clement Noel was 15th.