McGrath takes Slalom globe as Haugan Storms to Slalom Victory. Hallberg Delivers Surprise Podium

From the darkness of the woods in Cortina d'Ampezzo to the sparkle of a Crystal Globe on home snow in Norway, it's been quite a ride for Atle Lie McGrath (NOR/Head).

Just over a month after his grandfather passed away and then he threw away a potential Olympic gold medal before wandering off into the forest in search of peace and quiet, McGrath revelled in the raucous cheers of his home fans on Wednesday in Hafjell as he won the 2025/26 Slalom title for his first Crystal Globe.

The local crowd saved its loudest cheers for McGrath. Entering the day with a narrow lead in the slalom standings,.It wasn't a perfect race from McGrath, who finished eighth, but when his closest challenger for the globe, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA/Atomic), straddled on the fourth gate of the second run, McGrath's title was confirmed.

McGrath finished the race in eighth place, which was more than enough to clinch the season title. He finished the year at the top of the standings ahead of France's Clément Noël, who finished second in the overall slalom rankings after a mid-pack finish Wednesday.

"I can't believe it's actually mine," said an emotional McGrath, holding the glass trophy. "It’s been a season of such highs and lows, and to finish it here in Norway with the globe in my hands is everything I've worked for."

"I'm just so relieved," McGrath said while fighting back tears in his first post-race interview.

"The past months after the Olympics have been some of the toughest but also some of the most rewarding I've had in my life. I really miss my grandfather today. I wish he was here with me but I know he's watching.

"Even though you go through your toughest period in life, you can still come out the other end and see the smiles, and see the sun."

Understandably, the 25-year-old seemed nervous in his two tentative runs on course in Hafjell with the globe in the balance, and he admitted more than as much afterwards.

"To win the globe, and win my first one, is so tough," he said. "I've been going to the past two weeks not sleeping, struggling to eat, because I knew this day was coming and to actually have it is insane. I can't even describe it."

"The Crystal Globe won by Atle Lie McGrath goes down in company history. This is the first Crystal Globe for HEAD in the men's Slalom," said HEAD Racing Director Rainer Salzgeber. "Atle's skiing ability is immense. It was also brilliant how he put what happened at the Olympics behind him and shortly afterwards went on to win in Kranjska Gora. This win is well deserved, and he has got a lot back from what he went through in February. He has proved himself on all kinds of slopes. He has more than earned this Crystal Globe."

Norway's Haugan delivered a masterclass in technical skiing today, claiming victory in the FIS men's slalom and reinforcing his status as one of the sport's elite gate-runners. The slalom field saw difficult, rutted conditions on the second run that produced a number of mistakes and DNFs, making the final standings a test of both speed and course management.

While a first podium since December would have been a fine result for Haugan, that's not what he was aiming for in the final race of the season.

"Today I just really wanted to finish with a victory," the 29-year-old said. "Podium would be nice, but my main goal today was to win and just finish with a bang.

"I wasn't too scared about skiing out, I just wanted to give it all I have and see how it ends up."

The Norwegian controlled the race from the first run, carrying that advantage through to the finish despite intense pressure from Switzerland's Loïc Meillard, who had to settle for second place. Meillard's runner-up finish extends his impressive season, but he couldn't quite find the extra speed needed to challenge Haugan's commanding performance.

Haugan posted the fastest combined time to finish 0.44 seconds ahead of Meillard and 1.03 seconds in front of Hallberg. Haugan, who has been a consistent presence near the front in slalom this season, said he had battled through physical discomfort in the lead-up to the race but executed his plan when it mattered.

Meillard, who had led after the first run, pushed hard on his second descent but could not make up the deficit, settling for second.

The day’s biggest shock came from the 22-year-old Hallberg. Starting with a high bib number, the Finn defied the softening tracks to finish third, 1.03 seconds behind Haugan. It was the third podium of a breakout season for Hallberg, who has single-handedly revived Finnish interest in a discipline once dominated by the likes of Kalle Palander.

"After Kitzbuehel I had a little dip, I haven't made it to the finish really, and then I just thought that sooner or later, that's going to stop and I'm going to have a good finish," he said.

After finishing 36th in the Slalom standings a year ago, the 22-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough season this year with three podiums and eighth place in the globe race.

"It was over my expectations, really," he admitted. "I had to believe that something like this is possible if I ski good, but in the end when it really happens, you get on the podium, you always get surprised, and it's an amazing feeling."

For Hallberg, the result marks a breakthrough World Cup moment and a major confidence boost heading into the final phase of the season. His podium underscores how quickly fortunes can change in slalom, where ruts, visibility and minor errors routinely shuffle the standings between runs. 

Haugan’s win reinforces Norway’s strength in the technical disciplines and adds another career highlight for the 27-year-old, who has steadily climbed the slalom ranks over the past seasons. Meillard’s second place underlines his consistency across events, as he continues to balance slalom duties with a heavy workload in giant slalom and combined races.

Haugan's victory continues what has been a stellar campaign for the Norwegian, adding another win to his impressive tally. His precision and power through the gates have made him the man to beat in slalom this season.