Alex Vinatzer handsome at night, seventh place comeback in Schladming

Brilliant comeback for Alex Vinatzer in the second run of the Schladming slalom, closed with a fine seventh place. On the night of Henrik Kristoffersen’s fifth win on the Planai, the Gardena/Gröden racer made up as many as nine positions in the decisive run, dragging Tommaso Sala with him as well, eleventh at the finish line after gaining four in the second run.

The race saw Kristoffersen complete his overtaking of compatriot Atle Lie McGrath, the leader after the first run, by imposing himself with an overall time of 1’53″80 and a margin of 0″34 over the youngest Norwegian, son of the art. On the third step of the podium was Frenchman Clément Noël (+0″54), author of the best heat time that allowed him to move up five positions.

Behind the podium the gaps increased: Vinatzer finished seventh at 2″26 thanks to a sixth heat partial, built with an aggressive but polished run on an icy, treacherous slope on a very physically demanding course as well. Between Noël and the Italian came Bråthen (+1″53), Gstrein (+1″75) and Haugan (+1″99). Just outside the top ten, in 11th position, was Tommaso Sala at 2″58, the protagonist of two tidy and flawless heats.

In the first run, Tobias Kastlunger and Corrado Barbera had failed to qualify, while Matteo Canins and Tommaso Saccardi had interrupted their run.

In the specialty standings McGrath took back the red bib with 452 points, just one length ahead of Bråthen; Noël was third at 435, while Vinatzer moved up to 13th place with 158 points. In the overall Marco Odermatt (1335) watches the pursuers, with Bråthen rising to 798 and McGrath to 694; ninth place for Franzoni with 456 points.