Loic Meillard, representing Switzerland, clinched victory in the men’s slalom event at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics with a powerful second run. During the competition, Brazilian skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen stumbled in the initial run, dashing his hopes for another Olympic gold.
The men’s Alpine program at the games concluded with Meillard securing the gold medal, adding to his prior silver in the team combined event and bronze in the giant slalom.
Meillard completed the race with a combined time of 1 minute, 53.61 seconds, narrowly defeating Fabio Gstrein from Austria by 0.35 seconds, while Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway secured the bronze medal. The weather conditions varied significantly throughout the event, with snow and fog in the morning giving way to sunshine in the afternoon.
Atle Lie McGrath from Norway, who led after the first run, unfortunately straddled a gate and was disqualified. McGrath, racing with a heavy heart following his grandfather’s recent passing, paid tribute by wearing an armband in his memory.
Pinheiro Braathen made history by winning the giant slalom earlier in the games, marking the first South American athlete to claim a Winter Olympics medal. However, his hopes for another medal were dashed due to a slip during the first run.
The medal table for men’s Alpine skiing in Bormio was led by Switzerland with eight medals (four gold, two silver, and two bronze), followed by Austria and Italy with two medals each, and Brazil, the U.S., and Norway with one medal each.
Challenging snow conditions made for a tough morning of racing, with many competitors from non-traditional skiing nations in the field. Among the participants were skiers from Jamaica, Singapore, and Mexico. AJ Ginnis of Greece made a ceremonial farewell run due to an ankle injury that prevented him from competing at his best.
Reflecting on his ski racing journey, Ginnis expressed gratitude for the experiences and opportunities the sport had provided him, including lifelong friendships and personal growth.