BORMIO, Italy — Norwegian skier Atle Lie McGrath seized the first-run lead in a weather-challenged men’s slalom event at the Winter Olympics on Monday, while Brazilian champion Lucas Pinheiro Braathen saw his gold medal defense vanish in a dramatic crash on the foggy, snow-covered slopes.
The competition, marked by exceptionally difficult conditions, witnessed nearly half of the 96 starters fail to complete the course. Pinheiro Braathen—who made history just days earlier as the first South American Winter Olympic gold medalist—was posting a competitive time when he lost his edge and slid down the mountain, ultimately recording a ‘Did Not Finish’ (DNF).
McGrath, Braathen’s former Norwegian teammate and close friend, clocked 56.14 seconds to lead Switzerland’s Loic Meillard by 0.59 seconds. Austria’s Fabio Gstrein finished third in the opening run of this final Alpine event of the Milan Cortina Games.
Reflecting on the brutal nature of elite skiing, Braathen remarked: ‘Of course I’m conflicted. This sport brings you up to the sky and slams you back into reality equally as fast. That’s exactly what makes it the art it is.’
The event served as a poignant farewell for Greece’s AJ Ginnis, who completed a ceremonial run despite improper recovery from ankle surgery. Meanwhile, McGrath competed wearing an armband in tribute to his grandfather, who passed away on opening ceremony day.
The field showcased skiing’s global growth, featuring athletes from Jamaica, Singapore, and Mexico—including Lasse Gaxiola, whose mother, Sarah Schleper, previously competed in Cortina.