Unheralded French skier Paco Rassat secured his inaugural World Cup victory on Saturday in Gurgl, Austria, clinching the second slalom of the Olympic season with a remarkable second run. Rassat’s win followed his impressive sixth-place finish in the season’s opening slalom in Levi, Finland, just six days prior.
Expressing his disbelief, Rassat stated to Austrian TV, “I never imagined this was possible.” The timing of his breakthrough, less than three months away from the Milan Cortina Winter Games, could not have been better. “For sure, I want to be at the Olympics,” he affirmed, adding, “My goal currently is to excel in the World Cup and secure a spot at the Olympics.”
Despite starting the final run in 14th place, Rassat delivered a standout performance with the fastest second-run time, ultimately crossing the finish line 0.07 seconds ahead of Armand Marchant, marking Belgium’s first-ever podium in Alpine skiing’s World Cup. Atle Lie McGrath of Norway, the initial run leader, slipped to third place, trailing Rassat by 0.09 seconds.
Overwhelmed by his victory, Rassat exclaimed, “This is insane… My dream just came true today, so this is amazing.” Born to a ski instructor, Rassat began skiing at a young age, specializing in slalom. Making his World Cup debut in January 2022, he achieved his first top-10 result three years later, securing ninth place in the classic race in Wengen, Switzerland.
The presence of his parents at the race held significant meaning for Rassat. “My dad was my first coach, and my mother also worked at the club, so this is a big day for us, and I’m so, so happy to share it with them,” said Rassat, who celebrated his 27th birthday last week. His victory propelled him to the top of both the slalom and overall standings after three events.
While Marco Odermatt, a four-time overall champion, won the season’s opening giant slalom in Austria, he does not participate in slaloms. Eduard Hallberg of Finland, who shared second place with Swiss racer Tanguy Nef after the initial run, unfortunately lost his balance in a right turn and fell before the finish line. Hallberg had secured Finland’s first World Cup podium result in nearly 18 years the previous week in Levi.
In other notable finishes, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen of Brazil, who claimed Brazil’s first Alpine skiing World Cup victory the previous week, finished 10th, and French Olympic champion Clement Noel placed 12th. Swiss skier Loic Meillard, the slalom world champion, started in 20th place after the opening run but failed to finish his second run.
Looking ahead, a women’s slalom event is scheduled on the same hill for Sunday, while the men’s World Cup will continue with the season’s first speed race, a super-G in Copper Mountain, Colorado, on Thursday.