A race with starting numbers in Schladming

Following the giant slalom the previous day, the traditional night slalom is on the program in Schladming on Wednesday. The first run turned into a real lottery for starting numbers.

28 January 2026

From: dl

The slope in Schladming was already drawing criticism and sparking discussion on Tuesday. The following day, it was far less icy – especially for the skiers starting with bib number ten and above. Of these, only the Belgian Armand Marchant, who finished seventh, managed to finish within a second of the podium. The rest struggled to varying degrees with the numerous tracks.

The skier with bib number one is in the lead, ahead of those with bib numbers two and three. This means there's a Norwegian one-two finish. Atle Lie McGrath leads Henrik Kristoffersen by 15 hundredths of a second. Giant slalom winner Loic Meillard (+0,43 seconds) of Switzerland is currently in third place. The wearer of the red bib, Lucas Braathen (+0,78), is still within striking distance in fifth.

Alex Vinatzer, starting with bib number 17, already had little chance. © APA / ERWIN SCHERIAU

Alex Vinatzer made no major mistakes, but lost almost two seconds to the leader. Starting with bib number 17, the Val Gardena native finished in 16th place – just behind his teammate Tommaso Sala. The other South Tyroleans, Tobias Kastlunger and Matteo Canins, did not qualify for the final on the Planai. This starts at 8:45 p.m.

Keywords Winter sports Alpine skiing Schladming Slalom