Henrik Kristoffersen beats history-maker AJ Ginnis in thrilling men's slalom at Alpine Ski World Championships

Henrik Kristoffersen won gold at the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships in Courchevel, Francel narrowly beating out Greek history-makerwho AJ Ginnis won the silver, his nation’s first ever World Championships medal. After the first run, 18 of the starters were within one second of the lead. Austrian Manuel Feller had finished fastest, ahead of Ginnis and Norwegian Lucas Braathen.

Ad Braathen, back in action just two weeks after undergoing surgery to remove his appendix, had missed Chamonix and the world championship giant slalom but was among the favourites to take gold on the course known as L'Éclipse. WengenKristoffersen secures stunning slalom victory in Wengen15/01/2023 AT 13:59 British hopeful Dave Ryding was just over a second off the pace on his first attempt, good enough for a place in the next round. He finished just outside the top 20 with fellow Brits Billy Major, Laurie Taylor, and Ed Guigonnet also holding on for a place in the second round and Major cracking the top 30.

The course was a hugely challenging one, deliberately designed to test out the racers and featuring a huge offset between the first gates. 30 racers failed to finish on the first run, and Spaniard Joaquim Salarich was the course's first victim on the second. Tobias Kastlunger set down an early marker in the second round, flying down the mountain and exploding out of his turns.