Kristoffersen Wins World Cup Giant Slalom, Denies Pinheiro Braathen Historic Victory

Henrik Kristoffersen led the first run of the men's World Cup giant slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, clocking 1min 10.73sec, with Marco Odermatt just 0.15 seconds behind. Both skiers have dominated the Podkoren course, each winning three of the last six races held there. Joan Verdu of Andorra followed in third, 0.52 seconds off the lead, while Raphael Haaser, the world champion, ranked eighth in his first race since winning gold two weeks prior. Kristoffersen aims for his first giant slalom win since March 2022, whereas Odermatt seeks to extend his overall lead in the World Cup standings. The competition was challenging due to adverse weather conditions leading up to the event, impacting several skiers' performances. The second leg of the race is set to take place later today, with high expectations for both Kristoffersen and Odermatt to continue their strong showings.