Kristoffersen shows class to grab Slalom Globe as Haugan seals golden finish for Norway

The men put on a sensational show on the final day of the 2024/25 Audi FIS World Cup season in Sun Valley, as slalom skier after slalom skier showed just how good they are. But ultimately, Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR/Van Deer) withstood everything they threw at him to be crowned the Crystal Globe champion.

Having built up a 47-point lead going into the World Cup Finals, the Norwegian knew exactly what he needed to do in order to match the great Alberto Tomba (ITA) by sealing his fourth Slalom season title.

And despite the best efforts of nearest challenger Loic Meillard (SUI/Rossignol) and reigning Olympic champion Clement Noël (FRA/Dynastar) the Norwegian managed it, his fourth-place finish putting him comfortably clear at the top.

Compatriot Timon Haugan (NOR/Van Deer) doubled up the glory for Norway by grabbing the win on the day, finishing in a time of one minute 43.61 seconds. The valiant Noël was second, just 0.03 seconds away from a fifth win of the season. While Austria’s Fabio Gstrein (Atomic) put the finishing touch on his best ever season with third, 0.37 seconds behind Haugan.

The margins were so tight that those three-hundredths of a second cost Noël a place on the Slalom season podium. The Frenchman ended fourth, with Haugan vaulting up into third, and Meillard, fifth on the day, holding onto second behind Kristoffersen.

The man who now sits equal third on the list of men's Slalom Globe winners, behind only Marcel Hirscher (six) and Ingemar Stenmark (eight).

‘It would be disappointing not to win it’

A fourth Globe in nine years gives a clear indication of Kristoffersen’s standing as one of the all-time great technical skiers. And he was made to show off plenty of those skills on a drama-filled day in the Idaho sunshine.

First out the gate in the morning, the 30-year-old was full of intensity and accuracy. But Noël, knowing he needed a win to have any chance of over-hauling Kristoffersen, responded brilliantly to go four-hundredths quicker.

As if that was not enough pressure, Meillard then recovered from a ropey first run to throw down the gauntlet with what turned out to be the quickest second effort of all.

It almost proved too much, with Kristoffersen thrown right onto the back of his skis at just the fourth gate of his second run. But he is not a multiple World Cup champion for nothing and he soon found his tempo. Accelerating through the lower section the Norwegian powered to the finish and after a momentary pause, he let out a guttural roar that said it all.

“I was pretty calm (in the start gate of the second run) to be honest,” he revealed. “I knew Loic came into the lead. I didn’t watch him but I knew he came into the lead but that was to be expected.

“I came to the finish and saw I was 0.05 behind. I thought it was Loic leading and then I was like now I have to wait and see, but when I saw it was Gstrein (ahead of him) and it was done, it was a huge relief.”

Two wins and three podiums laid the foundations for Kristoffersen’s fourth Globe, following triumphs in 2015/15, 2019/20 and 2021/22. But in such a close battle, it was his relentless consistency – six other top-eight finishes and just one DNF – that actually made the difference.

“Everything takes its toll. Too much up and down to be honest. I don’t want to be in this position anymore, to be honest. Either we have to finish before the World Cup Finals or we can’t be in the hunt because it’s too much at the moment,” Kristoffersen said with a wry smile.

“I am very happy to come away with it but it’s too much.”

Meillard seals wonder season

For the man he beat to the Globe, there was only gratitude for having been involved in such a thrilling fight.

“It was a very nice battle, everyone pushed each other to be better, to ski a bit faster every time and that’s what makes our sport better,” said Meillard, whose win in the penultimate stop in Hafjell helped make the final race so exciting.

“At the end I think I can be happy. It’s a fifth place and very solid second run, very good skiing in the conditions and at the end that’s part of skiing. You can do some mistakes, be wrong in the first run but what’s important is how you react and how you improve and I think I had the perfect reaction in the second run.”

It was quite a season for the Swiss skier, who also claimed World Championship gold.

Happy Haugan a serial winner

Haugan is yet to know quite what that tastes like but another win was the perfect way to head for his holidays.

“I’m extremely happy with three (wins), what a season,” said the 28-year-old, who started it with just one career win and ended with three more plus two second places.

“That was wow. That was nice. It was a really, really hard second run with the track. It was really difficult. I was very nervous on the start. I knew I had to really be on the limit and push everything to get the better of the race. I am so happy I did it with just a few hundreds.

“I got third last year and this year I just wanted to win as many races as possible.”

So close for Noël

The Norwegian did not win quite as many as Noël, for whom a DNF plus a seventh and a 10^th in three of his final four races was costly.

“I feel like I deserved better than that. At the end of the season I have five podiums and four wins but that’s the way it is,” Noël said of ending fourth in the standings. “I am really disappointed about that but I did my best today and I have nothing to regret today, it is more about the past few races, which were not that good. Fourth, that stings a little bit.”

The pain was salved somewhat by his superb final day performances, in conditions not usually to his liking.

“It was pretty tough, the snow was quite soft, it was really warm, spring conditions. The first run was not easy and then the second run was bumpy but really happy about the feeling I had with the snow today and the result also,” he said.

“Keep the positive and move forward to be a little bit better and a little bit more consistent.”

‘Up, up, up’ for Gstrein

That is a mantra that Gstrein will be repeating throughout the off-season. The Austrian started the season having never finished inside the top 10 of a Globe race and without an individual World Cup podium. Now he has ticked both off the list.

“The whole season is a highlight for me because it’s my best season so far,” he said beaming. “Schladming, first podium, now another podium.

“This season it went always up, up, up, better and better and I try to do it the same next year.”