Ski World Cup in the ticker:

Men’s giant slalom in Hafjell – LIVE from 9.30 am

Loic Meillard is in the lead.

(Bild: AP/Giovanni Zenoni)

Men's giant slalom in Hafjell! The first run is underway, we are reporting live (see ticker below).

Here is the live ticker:

The intermediate standings:

With the giant slalom today and slalom on Sunday, Hafjell is the last stop for the men's ski team before the World Cup final in Sun Valley. Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen faces decisive races in his home country: The 30-year-old, who lives in Salzburg, leads the standings in the slalom and is chasing Marco Odermatt in the giant slalom. Austria's ski stars are not competing for the crystal, they are competing for daily successes and final qualifications.

Henrik Kristoffersen

(Bild: AP/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Kristoffersen recently presented himself in top form with the double in Kranjska Gora. At the same time, he attracted attention with cryptic statements in the ORF interview. "I'm very happy with the weekend. But let's see if I continue next season." Fighting for victories and podium finishes for ten years is not easy on the mind, the 33-time World Cup winner let us know. He celebrated his first World Cup victory in Schladming in 2014. A year later, he was crowned Junior World Champion in giant slalom and slalom again in Hafjell.

No Austrian top in discipline rankings
For his second giant slalom globe after 2019/20, he would have to make up 41 points on Odermatt. The decision will be made in Hafjell if Kristoffersen misses out on the top five and Odermatt manages to return to the top step of the podium in his showpiece discipline. With "only" three wins this season, the designated overall World Cup winner in the giant slalom has achieved fewer than at any time since 2021. The best giant slalom racer from Austria is currently Stefan Brennsteiner in ninth place.

In the slalom, the same applies to Manuel Feller, who is seventh. Kristoffersen is 77 points ahead of his first pursuer, the lightning-fast Frenchman Clement Noel, who is in danger of dropping out. World champion Loic Meillard from Switzerland, who is 102 points behind, must be hoping that the duo will slip up. For Kristoffersen, it's all about the fourth slalom globe of his career.

Schwarz still trembling for slalom qualification
As 27th in the rankings, Marco Schwarz urgently needs points if the Carinthian wants to start in the slalom in Sun Valley at the end of his comeback season as well as the giant slalom. The top 25 in the respective discipline rankings, 500-point racers and the Junior World Champions are eligible to compete in the World Cup final. Fabio Gstrein (9th) has already qualified alongside Feller. Dominik Raschner, Michael Matt and Johannes Strolz are still on course for the final as ranked 23rd to 25th.

Hafjell, not far from Lillehammer, last hosted the Ski World Cup in 2006. The last men's World Cup races on the course of the 1994 Olympic technical competitions took place in 2003. Hans Knauß won the giant slalom ahead of Benjamin Raich, while Italy's Giorgio Rocca won the slalom.