{"id":1814999,"date":"2026-03-08T22:47:36","date_gmt":"2026-03-08T19:47:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1814999"},"modified":"2026-03-08T22:47:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-08T19:47:36","slug":"slalom-world-cup-in-kranjska-gora-slovenia-sees-atle-lie-mcgrath-claim-redemption-podium-after-olympic-upset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1814999","title":{"rendered":"Slalom World Cup in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sees Atle Lie McGrath Claim Redemption Podium After Olympic Upset"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_394520\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-394520\" style=\"width: 1440px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-394520 size-full lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAHKAQMAAACpKGj3AAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADpJREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T20PBxQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPBjkOoAAXoJw+sAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"458\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2946-e1773009693728.jpeg?resize=640%2C458&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2946-e1773009693728.jpeg?w=1440&amp;ssl=1 1440w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2946-e1773009693728.jpeg?resize=300%2C215&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2946-e1773009693728.jpeg?resize=1200%2C858&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2946-e1773009693728.jpeg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2946-e1773009693728.jpeg?resize=600%2C429&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2946-e1773009693728.jpeg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"458\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-394520 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2946-e1773009693728.jpeg?resize=640%2C458&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"458\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-394520\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Another World Cup victory for Atle Lie McGrath. | Image: FIS Alpine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-2 ai-viewport-3 ai-insert-2-90968962\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-2-90968962\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"2\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-1 ai-insert-1-75798346\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-1-75798346\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"PGRpdiBjbGFzcz0nY29kZS1ibG9jayBjb2RlLWJsb2NrLTEnIHN0eWxlPSdtYXJnaW46IDhweCBhdXRvOyB0ZXh0LWFsaWduOiBjZW50ZXI7IGRpc3BsYXk6IGJsb2NrOyBjbGVhcjogYm90aDsnPgo8c2NyaXB0IGFzeW5jIHNyYz0iaHR0cHM6Ly9wYWdlYWQyLmdvb2dsZXN5bmRpY2F0aW9uLmNvbS9wYWdlYWQvanMvYWRzYnlnb29nbGUuanM\/Y2xpZW50PWNhLXB1Yi04MDQ2MzU3NTk4MTA4NzYyIgogICAgIGNyb3Nzb3JpZ2luPSJhbm9ueW1vdXMiPjwvc2NyaXB0Pgo8IS0tIEJlbG93IGZpcnN0IGltYWdlIC0tPgo8aW5zIGNsYXNzPSJhZHNieWdvb2dsZSIKICAgICBzdHlsZT0iZGlzcGxheTppbmxpbmUtYmxvY2s7d2lkdGg6NzI4cHg7aGVpZ2h0OjkwcHgiCiAgICAgZGF0YS1hZC1jbGllbnQ9ImNhLXB1Yi04MDQ2MzU3NTk4MTA4NzYyIgogICAgIGRhdGEtYWQtc2xvdD0iMTA3NzQ1NjIxNCI+PC9pbnM+CjxzY3JpcHQ+CiAgICAgKGFkc2J5Z29vZ2xlID0gd2luZG93LmFkc2J5Z29vZ2xlIHx8IFtdKS5wdXNoKHt9KTsKPC9zY3JpcHQ+PC9kaXY+Cg==\" data-block=\"1\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>The men\u2019s slalom World Cup in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia on Sunday, March 8, produced one of the closest finishes of the entire season, with the top five racers separated by less than a tenth of a second after two runs on the steep Podkoren slope.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/atle-lie-mcgrath-responds-to-olympic-dnf-with-perspective-and-a-quote-from-south-parks-butters\/\"><strong><em>Atle Lie McGrath Responds to Oluympic Temper\u00a0Tantrum With Perspective\u2014and a Quote from South Park\u2019s Buttersm<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Just weeks after heartbreak at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan\u2013Cortina, Norway\u2019s Atle Lie McGrath delivered redemption in dramatic fashion, winning the race by just 0.01 seconds over teammate Henrik Kristoffersen.<\/strong> Former teammate-turned Brazilian Lucas Pinheiro Braathen completed the podium in third as the margins between the best slalom skiers in the world proved almost impossibly small. McGrath won by a mere millisecond, while Braathen was only 0.05 seconds behind his long-time friend McGrath.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_394522\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-394522\" style=\"width: 1440px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-394522 size-full lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAHUAQMAAACQ9AscAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADtJREFUeNrtwQEBAAAAgiD\/r25IQAEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMCXAZQUAAGT\/894AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"468\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2949-e1773009490418.jpeg?resize=640%2C468&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2949-e1773009490418.jpeg?w=1440&amp;ssl=1 1440w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2949-e1773009490418.jpeg?resize=300%2C219&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2949-e1773009490418.jpeg?resize=1200%2C878&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2949-e1773009490418.jpeg?resize=768%2C562&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2949-e1773009490418.jpeg?resize=600%2C439&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2949-e1773009490418.jpeg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"468\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-394522 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2949-e1773009490418.jpeg?resize=640%2C468&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"468\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-394522\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Best friends from their time on the Norwegian team together: Atle Lie McGrath and Lucas Braathen. | Image: FIS Alpine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"mceTemp\"><\/div>\n<h2>Run 1<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Clement No\u00ebl opened the race in bib 1, setting the time for the course with 49.01. <\/strong>He was promptly outskied by Lucas Braathen, in bib 2, who crossed the finish 0.61 seconds ahead of \u00a0the Frenchman. Norwegian Timon Haugan recorded an unfortunate DNF, while Kristoffersen slotted in 0.39 seconds behind Braathen. Switzerland\u2019s Loic Meillard in bib 5 was the next top-ranked skier with a DNF.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/clement-noel-triumphs-at-slalom-world-cup-in-adelboden-switzerland-while-lucas-braathen-claims-first-brazilian-slalom-podium\/\"><strong><em>Clement Noel Triumphs at Slalom World Cup in Adelboden, Switzerland, While Lucas Braathen Claims First Brazilian Slalom Podium<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Then came McGrath in bib 6, who laid down a smooth and aggressive line to clock 48.23 seconds, putting himself 0.17 seconds ahead of Braathen.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Meanwhile, Belgium\u2019s Armand Marchant produced a stunning performance from bib 13 to move into third place +0.55 off the lead.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The incredible depth of the men\u2019s slalom field this season was once again evident with the top 10 racers separated by less than one second, with Germany\u2019s Linus Strasser rounding out the top ten 0.93 seconds off McGrath\u2019s time.<\/strong> This left a long list of podium contenders. In addition, many athletes were vying for a World Cup Final invite.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For the United States, Ben Ritchie led the charge in 20th place, followed by Jett Seymour in 24th.<\/strong> Unfortunately, Luke Winters and Cooper Puckett both skied out and did not finish the first run.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_394523\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-394523\" style=\"width: 1440px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-394523 size-full lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAJRAQMAAADvYZTqAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAEVJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20Gf6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA4DC7oQAB\/i+3YgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"593\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2948-e1773009623326.jpeg?resize=640%2C593&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2948-e1773009623326.jpeg?w=1440&amp;ssl=1 1440w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2948-e1773009623326.jpeg?resize=300%2C278&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2948-e1773009623326.jpeg?resize=1200%2C1113&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2948-e1773009623326.jpeg?resize=768%2C712&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2948-e1773009623326.jpeg?resize=600%2C556&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2948-e1773009623326.jpeg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"593\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-394523 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2948-e1773009623326.jpeg?resize=640%2C593&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"593\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-394523\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Is someone cutting onions or is that champagne in your eyes, Henrik? | Image: FIS Alpine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-2 ai-viewport-3 ai-insert-4-31413510\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-4-31413510\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"4\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-1 ai-insert-3-66526423\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-3-66526423\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"3\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"mceTemp\"><\/div>\n<h2>Run 2<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The second run turned into a survival test. While there was only one DNF\u2014which came from the very unfortunate 3rd-ranked Marchant\u2014the<\/strong> course deteriorated quickly \u00a0under sunshine, meaning that racers starting early had full advantage of better snow conditions. The fastest two runs of the second leg were set by the first two racers out of the gate \u2014 Austria\u2019s Dominik Raschner (30th after run one) and France\u2019s Augustin Aulnette (29th).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Their times told the story of the worsening conditions.<\/strong> Raschner posted the fastest run of 48.47 seconds, which was actually slower than McGrath\u2019s time from run 1, however McGrath\u2019s second run was more than 2 seconds slower than Raschner\u2019s time, showing just how much the surface had degraded.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/mens-2025-26-fis-alpine-world-cup-calendar\/\"><em>The Men\u2019s 2025-26 FIS Alpine World Cup Calendar<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Those early performances proved incredibly valuable for the early starters.<\/strong> Raschner\u2019s strong second run catapulted him all the way up the leaderboard into seventh place. Skier after skier gave back the entire lead from run 1 on the top section of the Podkoren race course. Team USA\u2019s Ritchie and Seymour managed to improve their ranks from run 1 by, bumping up into 19th and 20th place and earning them valuable FIS points.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Things started to heat up as the top 10 from run 1 entred the gates.<\/strong> Strasser put himself into the lead with a combined time of 1:38.94 but was promptly undercut by 0.03 seconds by Austria\u2019s Michael Matt. Matt sat in the leader\u2019s seat and watched with wide eyes as skier after skier failed to topple him. Switzerland\u2019s Tanguy Nef fell 0.44 seconds behind, France\u2019s No\u00ebl was close but ended 0.06 seconds behind, giving up his entire lead on the top section of the course. Likewise his teammate Paco Rassat dropped 0.33 seconds behind Matt, whose podium dreams must have started to form when teammate Fabio Gstrein fell a massie 0.72 seconds behind.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_394521\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-394521\" style=\"width: 1440px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-394521 size-full lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAF7AQMAAAB4vqgnAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADRJREFUeNrtwQEBAAAAgiD\/r25IQAEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwLUBd+sAASKF95sAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"379\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2945-e1773009655798.jpeg?resize=640%2C379&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2945-e1773009655798.jpeg?w=1440&amp;ssl=1 1440w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2945-e1773009655798.jpeg?resize=300%2C178&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2945-e1773009655798.jpeg?resize=1200%2C710&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2945-e1773009655798.jpeg?resize=768%2C454&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2945-e1773009655798.jpeg?resize=600%2C355&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2945-e1773009655798.jpeg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"379\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-394521 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2945-e1773009655798.jpeg?resize=640%2C379&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"379\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-394521\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The slalom podium at Kranjska Gora: Atle Lie McGrath 1st, Henrik Kristoffersen 2nd, Lucas Braathen 3rd. | Image: FIS Alpine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>But then came the last three skiers and they demonstrated the Norwegian dominance in slalom skiing in perfect form.<\/strong> Kristoffersen lost some of his 0.35 lead on Matt from run 1 but managed to hang on to 0.05 seconds, which put him in the lead. Next up was former Norwegian, now Brazilian, Braathen, who was strong on the top section and was ahead of Kristoffersen where everyone had struggled. But the Brazilian lost his speed on the bottom, falling 0.03 seconds behind his rival. A big disappointment for Braathen, who had claimed victory in Giant Slalom yesterday. There was no samba in the finish line today.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Then came McGrath and it did not even keep Kristoffersen in the leader\u2019s seat, as he got up to watch his teammate.<\/strong> McGrath certainly managed to keep the tension until the very last second. Slower on the top section, faster on the next, slower on the third section, the light kept flickering between red and green and he snatched the victory by 0.01 second. Kristoffersen could only laugh\u2014it was a big hug from his best friend Braathen.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <\/strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/lucas-braathen-wins-giant-slalom-in-kranjska-gora-slovenia-and-heats-up-the-crystal-globe-hunt\/\"><strong>Lucas Braathen Wins Giant Slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, and Heats up the Crystal Globe Chase<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>For McGrath, the razor-thin win marked a powerful comeback after his Olympic disappointment\u2014and delivered one of the most dramatic slalom finishes of the entire World Cup season. <\/strong>More importantly, with today\u2019s victory, he puts himself firmly in the lead in the 2025-26 season slalom standings. McGrath leads with 552 points\u201441 points ahead of Braathen. He sits 77 points ahead of No\u00ebl and 99 points ahead of Kristoffersen. While it does not secure him the slalom crystal globe, it certainly puts the odds in his favor. All four of these men are still with a chance of winning the globe. McGrath needs to place third if Braathen won at the finals. Braathen could pip him if he won and he placed off the podium. Meanwhile, Kristoffersen is still in with a chance, provided he wins at the finals in Lillehammer, Norway, and McGrath records a DNF. It is all still wide open and promises to be an exciting last race at the World Cup Finals in two weeks.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_394524\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-394524\" style=\"width: 1350px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-394524 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAMgAQMAAACJaEE6AAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAFZJREFUeNrtwYEAAAAAw6D5U1\/hAFUBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACvAf0gAAHNCW\/DAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"800\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2944.jpeg?resize=640%2C800&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2944.jpeg?w=1350&amp;ssl=1 1350w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2944.jpeg?resize=240%2C300&amp;ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2944.jpeg?resize=960%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 960w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2944.jpeg?resize=768%2C960&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2944.jpeg?resize=1228%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1228w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2944.jpeg?resize=600%2C750&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2944.jpeg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"800\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-394524\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_2944.jpeg?resize=640%2C800&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"800\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-394524\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Four men are still within a chance of claiming the slalom crystal globe. | Image: FIS Alpine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 -->\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Another World Cup victory for Atle Lie McGrath. | Image: FIS Alpine The men\u2019s slalom World Cup in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia on Sunday, March 8, produced one of the closest finishes of the entire season, with the top five racers separated by less than a tenth of a second after two runs on the steep [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,267],"class_list":["post-1814999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-snowbrains-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1814999","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1814999"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1814999\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1814999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1814999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1814999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}