Prominent winner returns to Crans Montana

Even though it was "only" a European Cup ski race, the slalom in Crans Montana on Tuesday was a very special event. It was the first time a ski race had been held in the Swiss ski resort since the devastating fire at a nightclub.

13 January 2026

From: cst

No music, no show program, and a very small-scale awards ceremony. That's how the ski circuit presented itself in the first race after the fire disaster in Crans Montana. The first of two European Cup slalom races took place on Tuesday, but it featured a top-class field.

In the end, Armand Marchant was the fastest. The Belgian, sixth in the night slalom in Madonna di Campiglio and second in Gurgl, was a worthy winner – having gained eight places in the final run. Sandro Simonet, a Swiss skier, finished 24 hundredths of a second behind Marchant. Hans Grahl-Madsen, who was tied for first place with Simonet after the first run, finished third.

Canins misses out on top ten

No Italian rider made it into the top ten. Matteo Canins (12th) was the best, but he was almost two seconds behind Marchand. However, Canins, like winner Marchand, had a strong second run and gained nine places. Simon Maurberger finished 27th. Other Italians in the top 30 were: Alessandrio Pizio (16th), Stefano Pizzato (16th), and Corrado Barbera (20th).

Keywords Winter sports European Cup Alpine skiing Crans-Montana