03:50
Tommaso Sala (ITA)
Tommaso Sala also shows an extremely clean run and gets involved in the front positions! The Italian winds his way smoothly through the forest of poles and finishes eighth just 45 hundredths behind the leader, so anything is possible in the second round.
03:49
Johannes Strolz (AUT)
With the gold medal in the alpine combination, Johannes Strolz has already realized his own personal fairy tale and can now ski without the great pressure. With the self-confidence he gained, the Austrian first corrected a small mistake on the steep slope and then turned it up a notch in the final section. Every swing fits there, which is why Strolz ultimately takes the lead with a lead of two hundredths!
03:46
Giuliano Razzoli (ITA)
The 2010 Olympic slalom champion, Giuliano Razzoli, is currently experiencing his second spring at the tender age of 37. An extremely calm driving style even gave the Italian an interim best time in the upper section of the track. Apparently he can’t keep this up, but at least he ends up in eighth place and is less than a second behind.
03:45
Luca Aerni (SUI)
In the season so far, Luca Aerni has not yet finished fifth, but promised an increase in performance for the season’s highlight. However, it is very questionable whether he will succeed. The Swiss strays from the perfect line, especially on steep slopes, which means that Aerni falls back to twelfth position in the last meters.
03:42
Filip Zubcic (CRO)
As a result of the first short break in preparation, Filip Zubcic pushed himself energetically out of the starting gate. The Croatian lost four tenths by the first split after a cautious start, and things didn’t go any better for him after that. With a deficit of 1.85 seconds, he falls behind without a chance.
03:40
Daniel Yule (SUI)
Daniel Yule has won four World Cup races in his career, but the last success was more than five years ago. The Swiss tackles the race in a very controlled manner, but cannot jeopardize the front positions with this approach – in the end he is more than a second behind.
03:38
Lucas Braathen (NOR)
The young Lucas Braathen is the positive surprise of the slalom season and is currently even leading the discipline ranking. In his Olympic appearance, however, the Norwegian has to learn the hard way and cannot repeat the good performances of his teammates because he is eliminated in the middle section.
03:36
David Ryding (GBR)
Kitzbühel winner David Ryding made history on the Ganslernhang in January when he clinched the first British success in a World Cup race. In the upper section of the track, the 35-year-old is wide awake again, but then he briefly loses his balance on the steep slope and is 1.19 seconds behind the leader Henrik Kristoffersen.
03:34
Alex Vinatzer (ITA)
What applies to Kristoffer Jakobsen also applies to Alex Vinatzer – frequent failures often trip the fast Italian. Here, too, the 22-year-old gets into trouble at the fifth goal and then puts everything on one card. A total botched ride is ultimately acknowledged with the penultimate place.
03:33
Loïc Meillard (SUI)
The most consistent athlete from the strong Swiss team is Loïc Meillard, even if he is still missing the absolute top results. He is aggressive this time and is within striking distance of the best time throughout the run. Only a small mistake shortly before the finish throws him back to third place.
03:31
Michael Matt (AUT)
At the Winter Games in Pyeongchang four years ago, Michael Matt won the bronze medal. Can the man from Vorarlberg repeat this success in China? It’s one of his best performances of the season, at least so far! A clean line propelled the Austrian to fifth place in the intermediate classification, only 42 hundredths behind.
03:29
Kristoffer Jakobsen (SWE)
That is impossible! Kristoffer Jakobsen may be the fastest slalom runner of the season so far, but his high failure rate has ruined numerous top results. At the Olympic slalom, the Swede confirms everything and flies off the course after a good start.
03:28
Alexis Pinturault (FRA)
Alexis Pinturault is still slightly injured after his fall in combination slalom due to a bruised shoulder. The Frenchman avoids the last risk in the first run and accordingly loses time on the track, it adds up to more than a second to the finish.
03:27
Manuel Feller (AUT)
Precious metal or failure – that is apparently again the motto of Manuel Feller, who already sunk his first opportunity in the giant slalom in the snow. Unfortunately, it is once again the threader of the ambitious Austrian who does not make it to the finish after a promising first time.
03:25
Marco Schwarz (AUT)
Last year’s winner of the discipline ranking is still looking for his form this winter and can’t find the right means in China either. The Austrian is already quite far behind at the first intermediate time and can no longer correct the disadvantage due to a cautious drive.
03:23
Linus Strasser (GER)
Now it is from a German point of view, does Linus Straßer, who hopes to win a medal, put himself in a useful position for the second round? Yes, he can! The man from Munich masters all the key points on the slope and moves up to third place after a tactically clever run. He is only 31 hundredths short of Henrik Kristoffersen’s current best time.
03:21
Clément Noël (FRA)
At the beginning of the season, Clément Noël was the measure of all things in slalom, but then a few failures noticeably scratched his self-confidence. The flat section immediately after the start suits the Frenchman anyway, but then a small mistake after the last split throws him back to third place.
03:20
Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR)
Henrik Kristoffersen is the next highly traded Norwegian who wants to fight back after his missed medal chance in the giant slalom. The 27-year-old immediately finds the optimal rhythm and is a bit faster than his teammate Sebastian Foss Solevåg – first place!
03:18
Sebastian Foss Solevag (NOR)
The reigning slalom world champion Sebastian Foss Solevåg, of all people, will now provide the first indicator of Ramon Zenhousen’s performance. The Norwegian chooses a somewhat narrower line and thus gains a large cushion, especially in steep terrain. In the end he takes the lead by 74 hundredths.
03:16
Ramon Zenhauser (SUI)
The Olympic slalom on Xiaohaituo Mountain will be opened by four-time World Cup winner Ramon Zenhousen! On the relatively unrhythmic and demanding course setting, the 2.02 meter long Swiss rider leaves a little room at the gates and thus avoids major mishaps. After a driving time of 54.27 seconds, the 29-year-old crossed the finish line and set the first benchmark.
03:09
It’s about to start!
In a few minutes the competition will start at the National Alpine Skiing Center! Again, the runners are confronted with icy temperatures of 19 degrees below freezing point, but in contrast to the giant slalom, the sun is shining again over the piste and enables an optimal view. The wind could also play at least a small role in the slalom.
02:57
Good atmosphere in the Swiss team
The athletes from the Swiss team also want to take precious metal home with them in the last alpine individual competition. The best chances are given to Daniel Yule (start number 15), who is in fourth place in the discipline classification and wants to approach the upcoming task with the necessary ease. “The mood is good, life in the Olympic village is fun. I feel relaxed and hopefully that will enable me to drive fast,” said the 28-year-old. Ramon Zenhäusler (1), who already grabbed silver in Pyeongchang in 2018, and Loïc Meillard (11) are also aiming for the medals. In addition, the Confederates rely on Luca Aerni (17).
02:45
Quadruple medal chance for the ÖSV
With the Austrians, Johannes Strolz (start number 19) has been in the limelight at least since his Olympic victory in alpine combined. “The whole season is such a dream for me that everything that comes next is a bonus. The first World Cup victory was great for me, more than I could have dreamed of. And now with the gold medal it’s many times more.” , said the Vorarlberger in advance, who also won the slalom in Adelboden a month ago. In addition, Marco Schwarz (6) and Manuel Feller (7) want to fight back after a botched giant slalom. As the fourth ÖSV starter, Michael Matt (10) completes the team.
02:36
Straßer leads the DSV trio
The German Ski Association hopes that Linus Straßer (start number 5) can get involved in the medal fight. Born in Munich, he won the last slalom before the Olympics on the Planai in Schladming, Austria, and thus catapulted himself into the group of top favourites. “It will be a very interesting, very close race where you have to be extremely yourself,” expects the 29-year-old. “Skiing cleanly and precisely, but having your right foot on the accelerator”, but at the same time “don’t overpower”, adds Straßer, is the key to success. In addition, Julian Rauchfuss (37) and Alexander Schmid (39) are aiming for a good placement.
02:23
Almost endless list of favorites
In no other alpine discipline is the circle of favorites as large as in slalom. The previous six competitions in this World Cup winter have seen six different winners, and a total of 14 athletes have already stood on the podium at least once. The Norwegian team around Henrik Kristoffersen, Lucas Braathen and Sebastian Foss Solevåg made a particularly strong impression recently, while Clément Noël from France increasingly lost his self-image over the course of the season. The Italian Alex Vinatzer, Kristoffer Jakobsen from Sweden and the Briton David Ryding also have lightning-fast turns, but are just as prone to making mistakes. In addition, the runners from Germany, Austria and Switzerland want to intervene in the decision.
02:15
Warm welcome!
Hello and welcome to the final men’s alpine singles event at the Beijing Winter Games! A total of 88 athletes compete in slalom for gold, silver and bronze at the National Alpine Skiing Center. The first round starts at 3:15 a.m. (CET), the final follows at 6:45 a.m. (CET).