Noel Holds Off Charging Kristoffersen In Levi
The crowd was noticeably larger and livelier on Sunday as the best slalom skiers in the world made their way to the Levi slope - the first time since 2019 for the men. The hill was also much icier than the day before, which meant it would be in great shape for racing toward the end of the men’s field.
The last time the men’s slalom specialists raced an Audi FIS World Cup in Levi, Finland, Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR) skied a brilliant second run to deny Clement Noel (FRA) victory. But five years later, the Frenchman made sure history was not repeated as he held off his rival to at last secure victory in Lapland.
Despite professing to struggle – like much of the field – down the slick, turney morning set Noel was once again leading the field after a ‘Black Levi’ slope run one.
And this time, the reigning Olympic men’s slalom champion was able to defy the afternoon pressure heaped on by Kristoffersen (NOR) and win a World Cup for the first time since January 2023. Eleventh after run one, Kristoffersen’s barnstorming afternoon efforts propelled him into second place (0.80 seconds behind Noel), with a smooth-looking Loic Meillard (+0.95 seconds) completing the podium. For the second race in a row after returning to the World Cup circuit this season, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA) produced a pair of highly encouraging runs to end just off the podium. With the defending men’s World Cup slalom champion Manuel Feller (AUT) straddling a gate in run two and fellow big gun Linus Strasser (GER) fading to seventh, it was all smiles for Noel.
“Really, really great day to start to the season. Really, really happy about my second run. The feeling was way better for me in second run than in first run,” said Noel, who was second quickest in the afternoon, just 0.21 seconds behind Kristoffersen. “First run I was quite surprised to be in the lead because I was not really comfortable on the snow but then in the second run I was way better. I changed a few things on my set up and I was way more comfortable in the steep part. It was some quite good skiing I think. I knew that Henrik set the bar high in the pitch, he skied, really, really well. So, I just tried to push really hard because I knew it was tight.”
Not quite tight enough in the end for Kristoffersen who happy to give the plaudits to the Frenchman.
“Clement was definitely one step better than us today,” Kristoffersen said, before reflecting on a statement second run that improves his Levi record to two wins, three second places and a third. The second run was more to attack. It was still missing a few points but it was solid skiing and that’s what was important to do today for me. To finish on the podium is really amazing.”
Meillard, who missed the season opening giant slalom race in Sölden last month after tweaking his back, could not agree more.
“Definitely a great start. It showed I can ski fast and that I am ready for the next races. It (his back) felt good in training. I knew I should try to go for it.”
It completes a great weekend for the Meillard family, with Loic’s sister Melanie having finished seventh in the women’s slalom on Saturday.
For Braathen a second fourth-place effort in a matter of weeks shows that he is once again ready to challenge the very best.
“To be able to go back-to-back on top results in my return is one hell of a relief,” Braathen said. “To be able to now have kicked off not only the giant slalom season but the slalom season in such a respectable manner is such a relief. This might have been the slickest race that I’ve ever skied in my life, so I was really proud of how I was able to convert that, to be able to handle it. Just such a cool day. I am looking forward to the next time, let’s hope for some more green lights. I am more than ready (to win).”
Further down the field, Tanguy Nef (SUI) put down his best ever World Cup performance, grabbing fifth. One place behind came 26-year-old Steven Amiez (FRA). The rising star now has four top-10 finishes to his name in the past 12 months.
The returning Marcel Hirscher (NED) would love a record like that right now. The anticipation was certainly palpable when the three-time Levi winner came out of the gate in run one wearing bib No.31. But 2,070 days away from slalom racing proved too much even for him.
“This morning's training went really well, and I felt great. The first few gates during the race also felt good. I had grip, and everything was on track,” Hirscher said. “But at the ninth gate, where the roller was, I thought to myself, ‘OK bye-bye’. From there, it was a fight all the way down. I’ve never seen conditions this icy before—it was sheer, solid ice.”
The 35-year-old ended up 46th after run one. A result that left him questioning whether he is yet prepared for these type of challenges.
“Yesterday, I was certain I’d go to Gurgl (the next men’s slalom World Cup race, on 24 November). Today, I’m not so sure. It’s clear that I’m not 100% ready. I need to work on finding grip, but we’ll have to see the video analysis to see what can be improved.”
For the Americans U.S. Ski Team athlete Ben Ritchie posted a career best result in slalom, snagging a 13th place. He also took home the Stifel Bibbo Award, jumping from bib 48 to the 13th position.
“I am really happy with the result today. I thought I skied very well,” said Ritchie. “Some mistakes here and there but that’s how it goes in racing.”
The crowd was noticeably larger and livelier on Sunday as the best slalom skiers in the world made their way to the Levi slope - the first time since 2019 for the men. The hill was also much icier than the day before, which meant it would be in great shape for racing toward the end of the men’s field.
On the first run, all five of the U.S. Ski Team men showed promising speeds however only one made it to the second run. Jett Seymour was blazing on the top until he straddled coming onto the pitch. Teammate Luke Winters also skied well until he got a bit late and could not complete the next turn. Ritchie however started his day right, making it down calm, cool and collected to give himself a strong chance on the second run.
“There’s definitely a little extra nerves today in the first race of the year with new equipment and a new team around me,” remarked Ritchie. “We spent a lot of time skiing this summer and put in a lot of work.”
The work paid off for Ritchie in the end as he skied an aggressive line all the way to the finish just a mere 0.16 off the leader at the time. Skier after skier did not come close to Ritchie’s overall time and he watched his name climb the leaderboard. Ritchie ended up 13th with his whole team cheering him on from the sidelines.
“I think the training sessions have all been extremely competitive between the four of us so I think it's some good momentum for the slalom skiing and I think we will all bring our best skiing next weekend in Gurgl,” said Ritchie.
It was also a first for up-and-comer Camden Palmquist who experienced his first World Cup this weekend. While he did not make a second run he was thrilled to get his first turns in on the professional circuit in front of family.
“It felt alright, I did an ok job handling the nerves and I had a lot of fun. I could have been a lot faster in spots but it's good," said Palmquist.
The Levi World Cup has celebrated its 20th anniversary throughout the weekend of the event. The twentieth anniversary represents the long and successful history of the event, which has made it one of the most prestigious alpine skiing events in the world.
A record number of people gathered in the fells and on the fellside after the boom years. It was estimated that nearly 10 000 people attended the race over the weekend.
The Levi slopes are set to host another major celebration as the Alpine Skiing World Cup returns on November 14–16, 2025. Final dates will be confirmed during the spring meeting of the International Ski Federation (FIS).
"Everything went according to plan. We are very happy and excited about the crowd and the return of the men to Levi, and of course it was all topped off with a great Finnish performance, when Eduard Hallberg scored World Cup points in front of his home crowd" said race director Janne Leskinen.
