Giant Slalom – Tuesday, January 27, 2026
The Night Race week opened with a spectacular giant slalom under the lights of the Planai. In front of an intense, sold‑out crowd, Loïc Meillard (SUI) dominated the evening with a combined time of 2:14.38, securing a confident victory and repeating his earlier Schladming GS triumph from 2023.
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA), who led after the first run, couldn’t maintain his pace in the second and finished 0.73 seconds behind Meillard. Alban Elezi Cannaferina (FRA) completed the podium at +0.90, celebrating his first career top‑three result.
The atmosphere once again lived up to Schladming’s reputation as the famous “witches’ cauldron,” with tens of thousands of fans generating a deafening backdrop for one of the most iconic night races on the World Cup calendar.
Slalom – Wednesday, January 28, 2026
The Wednesday slalom delivered everything a Night Race should: emotion, drama, razor‑thin margins, and a crowd on fire.
Top Results (Men’s Slalom 28.01.2026)
- 1st – Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR) – 1:53.80
- 2nd – Atle Lie McGrath (NOR) – +0.34
- 3rd – Clément Noël (FRA) – +0.54
Kristoffersen produced one of the most emotional wins of his career. Racing at full attack in the second run, he overturned the deficit to his teammate McGrath and claimed his record fifth Schladming slalom victory, becoming the most successful racer in the history of the event.
Behind the Norwegian duo, Clément Noël secured third place thanks to the fastest second run of the field, jumping up from eighth. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen finished fourth, 1.53 seconds off the lead.
Race atmosphere & storylines
The Planai once again delivered a sensational night:
- A Norwegian 1–2, celebrated wildly by travelling fans.
- A French comeback podium via Noël.
- Strong Austrian performances with Fabio Gstrein finishing 5th as the best home racer.
- A dramatic DNF for Loïc Meillard, who had shown promising splits before skiing out.
The race confirmed why Schladming remains the world’s most prestigious slalom event: a steep, icy slope, floodlights, noise echoing through the valley, and athletes pushed to their absolute limits.
