The China Mail - Braathen wins Levi slalom for first Brazilian World Cup victory

Norway-born Pinheiro Braathen, racing for his mother's homeland of Brazil after falling out with the Norwegian ski federation, was fastest down the first leg.

That proved decisive as he timed an aggregate of 1min 50.72sec for victory.

France's Clement Noel was second, at 0.31sec, with Finland's Eduard Hallberg edging Britain's Laurie Taylor to round out the podium

Taylor, 15th fastest in the first run, blasted down with the fastest time in the second, taking the lead ahead of fancied rivals such as Austria's Manuel Feller and Marco Schwarz, and the Swiss pair of Daniel Yule and Tanguy Nef.

Then came the top 10. Croatia's Samuel Kolega, Switzerland's reigning world champion Loic Meillard, Norway's 2023 world champion Henrik Kristoffersen, Frenchman Steven Amiez and Austrian Fabio Gstrein all failed to bother the podium places.

Norway's Atle Lie McGrath, sixth fastest in the first leg, skied out, before Hallberg sent the crowd wild with a descent that snatched the lead by just four-hundredths of a second.

The top three followed. First out of the start hut was Haugan, the Norwegian building his lead before a costly mistake.

Noel delivered a clean run to ensure his Finnish rival didn't stay long in the leader's chair.

All eyes then turned on the final racer, Pinheiro Braathen keeping his calm to scorch through to a historic victory for his adopted homeland.

One notable absentee was Austrian star Marcel Hirscher, now racing in the colours of the Netherlands.

The eight-time overall World Cup champion said he would only be back in competition shortly before the February 6-22 Winter Olympics in Milan.

"Progress flows. Precision grows. I'll be back in January," Hirscher said on social media alongside a video of him slalom training.

T.Luo--ThChM