Men’s Alpine Ski Slalom at the Olympics Disrupted by Snowstorm

A snowstorm wreaked havoc during the men’s alpine ski slalom competition on Monday, impacting many athletes’ performances.

Over half of the participants—52 out of 96—failed to finish their first run due to the challenging conditions, with numerous skiers falling or missing their gates.

Norway’s Atre Lee McGrath managed to navigate the first run successfully but encountered a rare mishap in the second run, complicating the contest further.

McGrath had a significant 59-second lead in the initial run and looked poised for gold, but unfortunately, he stepped over a gate during his second attempt, which dashed his hopes. Frustrated, he tossed his pole and rushed off the course, finally collapsing in the snow with his hands resting on his head.

This opened the opportunity for Switzerland’s Loïc Meillard to claim the gold medal.

“It’s amazing,” Meillard expressed. “It was a long day, and I had high expectations for myself, which added a lot of pressure.”

Austria’s Fabio Gustein took home the silver medal. “The feel was great—really nice and cool,” he noted.

Gustein shared that as he stood at the start gate, he thought, “If I don’t cross the finish line with a green light, I won’t get a medal.” Upon seeing the green light, he felt a wave of satisfaction wash over him—“it was perfect.”

Though McGrath didn’t finish, Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen secured the bronze medal, but later reflected critically on his performance.

“I didn’t think my run was good enough for the podium, let alone for the win. But, looking at it now, winning bronze on a tough day isn’t so bad,” Kristoffersen admitted.