France's Rassat Wins Men's Slalom World Cup in Gurgl

France's Paco Rassat claimed his first World Cup victory in stunning fashion on Saturday, topping the men's slalom in Gurgl, Austria, ahead of Belgium's Armand Marchant in second and Norway's Atle Lie McGrath in third. The second race of the 2025-26 season unfolded over two runs on the challenging Kirchenkar course, where underdogs upended the favorites in a display of unpredictability that highlighted the depth of the field.

After the first run, McGrath held a narrow lead of 0.39 seconds over his Norwegian teammate Timon Haugan, with Finland's Eduard Hallberg and Switzerland's Tanguy Nef tied for second at 0.17 seconds back. McGrath, a three-time World Cup winner seeking his fourth, had overcome an early struggle to post a mistake-free effort down the steep slope. Hallberg, who earned Finland's first podium in nearly 18 years with third place in Levi the previous weekend, charged through the final section to match Nef's time. Haugan sat fourth, while Olympic champion Clément Noël of France ranked seventh, 0.48 seconds off the pace. Brazil's Lucas Braathen, fresh off giving his country its first Alpine skiing World Cup win in Levi, finished 11th after excelling in the middle...