WENGEN, Switzerland — Atle Lie McGrath raced to the fastest time in the first run of a World Cup slalom on Sunday then paid tribute to a Swiss great with a signature ski flip.
The United States-born Norwegian, wearing bib No. 4, saw that he posted the leading time then copied the post-race gesture of Didier Cuche, the retired downhill racer whose son he has helped to ski slalom.
Cuche, who won 21 World Cup races before retiring in 2012, would kick up his right ski, flipping it end over end before catching it with his gloved right hand.
“I’m coming for you, Didier!” McGrath said with a smile at the TV camera in the finish area.
McGrath, whose father Felix raced for the U.S. team at the 1988 Calgary Olympics, later described Cuche as “one of my heroes.”
“He told me in Kitzbühel last year that if I taught his son how to ski slalom he would teach me the Cuche Flip because I’m so bad at it,” said the 24-year-old McGrath.
McGrath was 0.43 faster than teammate Henrik Kristoffersen, who won the Wengen slalom three times. Swiss racer Tanguy Nef, wearing lower-ranked bib No. 20, was third fastest with 0.53 to make up in the afternoon run.
Norway-born Lucas Pinheiro Braathen was fifth, 0.82 behind his good friend McGrath, aiming to give Brazil a first win in the 68-year history of the World Cup circuit.
One year ago, McGrath also led after the first run before finishing second to Manuel Feller of Austria.
“This year I’m prepared,” he told Swiss broadcaster RTS. “I’m just going to ski my heart out and put all my emotions on the slope and see what it holds up to.”
Ben Ritchie of the U.S. defied wearing bib No. 28 to have the eighth-fastest time, 0.97 off the lead and less than a half-second from the podium places.
The sunshine and blue skies of Saturday for the classic Lauberhorn downhill were replaced by clouds for the slalom that is raced on a different slope that shares the same finish area.
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AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing
