Skiing, Paco Rassat wins Gurgl slalom after a sensational comeback. Vinatzer and Sala far from the leaders

Paco Rassat took his first victory in the Alpine Ski World Cup on Saturday, winning the slalom in Gurgl, Austria, after a comeback that has the resounding: the Frenchman had in fact finished in 14th position in the first run, instead dominating the second and placing ahead of Belgium’s Armand Marchand, who was 7 hundredths distant overall.

Closing the podium, just 9 hundredths behind the winner, was Norway’s Atle Lie McGrath, who had finished the first run ahead of everyone. Rassat, in McGrath’s contretemps, made up a whopping 85 hundredths, going on to win, in the most incredible of ways, his first career podium in CdM, climbing straight to the top step.

The podium was a dull affair.

A dull performance, however, for Levi slalom winner Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who did not go beyond 10th place, with an overall gap of 93 hundredths to Rassat. Even further back were the Italians: the best, Alex Vinatzer, finished 19th at one second and 17 hundredths, while Tommaso Sala finished 26th at one second and 94 hundredths behind the winner.

Simon Maurberger, Matteo Canins and Tobias Kastlunger were also entered for the Italian team in the slalom, but they did not make it past the first run, finishing outside the top 30 positions. As for the overall ranking, Paco Rassat moves into etsta with 140 points ahead of Pinheiro Braathen’s 126: the Frenchman is also first in the specialty ranking.