More than a month after his sporting drama at the Winter Olympics, Norwegian ski racer Atle Lie McGrath has won the small crystal ball in the slalom classification. In the last race in Hafjell, eighth place was enough for the 25-year-old to defend his lead. Victory in the season finale went to the Norwegian Timon Haugan, while Loic Meillard from Switzerland came second ahead of the Finn Eduard Hallberg.
McGrath’s biggest competitor for victory in the discipline ranking was Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who was starting for Brazil. The native Norwegian was eliminated after a driving error in the second round. At the finish line, McGrath cried and fell into his good friend’s arms.
At the Olympic Games in Italy, McGrath was eliminated on course for gold after a driving error. After throwing away his ski poles, he trudged towards the forest on foot and collapsed into the snow, completely defeated. His grandfather died on the day of the opening ceremony.
Linus Straßer was the only German slalom skier to qualify for the season finale. The athlete from TSV 1860 Munich came ninth and once again missed out on a podium place. After a change in material, Straßer fell short of expectations this season. Only once – at the World Cup in Kitzbühel – did the 33-year-old finish third on the podium. At the Olympics, the Upper Bavarian had nothing to do with the medal decisions.
