Europe Cup in Obereggen: Hans Grahl-Madsen signs another coup
The 22-year-old Norwegian Hans Grahl-Madsen won the prestigious European Cup slalom in Obereggen, confirming that his sixth place in Sunday’s World Cup slalom in Val d’Isère was by no means a fluke. In second place, 27 hundredths behind, was the experienced 30-year-old Swiss Sandro Simonet. Black day, on the other hand, for the Azzurri, as unfortunately has already happened several times in Obereggen. After two fifth-place finishes in Obereggen in 2023 and 2024, Hans Grahl-Madsen managed today to climb to the top step of the podium on the selective Maierl slope, confirming his excellent form in this start of the Olympic winter.
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The Norwegian has now won two of the three European Cup slaloms held so far this season, further consolidating his leadership in the overall standings. His sixth-place finish in Val d’Isère on Sunday, which propelled him fully into the world’s best, brings to mind the path of Giuliano Razzoli, who became Olympic slalom champion in 2010 just weeks after his own success in Obereggen. Grahl-Madsen is the first Norwegian to win in Obereggen since Alexander Steen Olsen in 2021. After the first run Grahl-Madsen led the ranking ex aequo with Finland’s Jesper Pohjolainen.
In the second heat, while Pohjolainen slipped to fifth place overall, the Norwegian only needed a 19th heat time to secure the victory. Sandro Simonet came close to a decisive comeback: third at the halfway point, the Swiss finished second just 27 hundredths behind the winner. Simonet had already tasted the podium in Obereggen in 2022, when he finished third. The third step of the podium this time was occupied by Frenchman Hugo Desgrippes, 25, who was included in the small group of favorites on the eve of the race. An excellent overall performance by France, which placed two other athletes in the top 10 with Auguste Aulnette, sixth, and Paul Silvestre, eighth.
The best time in the second run was instead signed by German Nickco Palamaras, who was able to climb from 23rd to ninth overall. For the Italians it was, once again, a difficult day in Obereggen. The best Italian was Simon Maurberger, 13th, while Matteo Canins, eighth after the first run, finished only 17th. Further back was Stefano Pizzato, 29th.
Also today the Maierl track showed all its treacherousness. Already in the first run only 55 of the 104 athletes who started had managed to cross the finish line; by the end of the race there were 47 finishers.
The organizers, led by organizing committee chairman and race director Eduard “Edi” Pichler, nevertheless pulled off a small miracle: despite the unusually high temperatures and high humidity of the last few days, the course held up surprisingly well to the effort. This was demonstrated by, among others, Americans Camden Palmquist and Cooper Puckett, who were able to place 15th and 21st, respectively, starting with bibs 42 and 59.
