Myhrer Upsets for Slalom Gold, Hirscher and Kristoffersen Out

Ask anyone that knows anything about ski racing who their picks were for gold in the Olympic men’s slalom on Thursday and you can guarantee that they would have said Austria’s Marcel Hirscher or Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen. The duo has combined for every World Cup slalom win this season save for one and have dominated the discipline for the better part of this Olympic cycle.

All of that changed on Thursday when the two slalom juggernauts both shockingly failed to find the finish line. In their absence, Swedish veteran Andre Myhrer stepped up and delivered Sweden’s first men’s slalom gold since the great Ingemar Stenmark’s win at Lake Placid 1980. Frida Hansdotter also won the women’s slalom, giving Sweden the rare double. Switzerland’s Ramon Zenhaeusern won the silver and Austria’s Michael Matt Bronze.

The Olympic men’s slalom podium. Image Credit: GEPA Pictures/Mathias Mandl

“It means everything,” Myhrer shared after the race. “I’ve been training my whole life for a moment like this. I took a medal in Vancouver, a bronze, but I’ve been always dreaming about the gold medal and now it’s a reality and I’m totally blown away.”

Myhrer won the slalom crystal globe back in 2012 but has suffered from back pain and has struggled some to find that same consistency in recent years. NBC’s Bode Miller even went as far as saying that Myhrer wanted to “cash out and fade out” during coverage of the men’s giant slalom in reference to the 35-year-old’s move to Head skis in 2014.

Not so fast, Mr. Miller.

“I had a really good first run; I knew it was gonna be a battle in the second,” he said. “I didn’t ski that good on the top, I had a feeling, it felt like I was a little bit behind. I haven’t seen the split times but that was my feeling coming into the last part and I just tried to force everything I had and luckily it was enough to go home with the gold.”

After Hirscher’s uncharacteristic exit in the first run — his first slalom DNF since 2016 — left the door open for the likes of Kristoffersen, the Norewgian held a healthy lead going into the second run. After Myhrer’s second run, Only Kristoffersen was left in the start house. Just as uncharacteristic as Hirscher’s DNF in the first run, Kristoffersen skied a handful of gates before catching his boot on the snow and sliding out, giving gold to Myhrer, silver to Zenhaeusern, and bronze to Matt.

“It’s just crazy,” Zenhaeusern said. “It’s like in a dream, I haven’t realized it yet and I think it will happen some days for realizing that, it’s unbelievable. At the beginning it was OK because I didn’t think that it would be a medal, but after, at the end when (Frenchman Victor) Muffat was coming down and I knew it’s now about the medal. I couldn’t see the run. I had to not look at the pictures because I was so nervous, it’s crazy.”

Matt en route to bronze. Image Credit: GEPA Pictures/Matic Klansek

Matt was also quite surprised to find himself with a medal and admitted to having to completely change his setup to ski on the unique Korean snow.

“Unbelievable,” Said Matt. “I was almost lying in this finish area not even watching half of the racers who had still to go. Henrik was really fast so I knew this is fourth place, but s–t happens and I’m very happy with my third place. You work the whole season really hard and then you come here and everything you have to change — change your skis, change your boots because the snow is so different. I skied six days in a row now and luckily it paid off.”

For the Americans, David Chodounsky led the way in 18th place followed by Mark Engel in 31st. Nolan Kasper did not finish his second run.

Next on the schedule is the parallel team event scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 24.

Top 10

1. Andre Myhrer (SWE) – Head/Head/Head
2. Ramon Zenhaeusern (SUI) – Rossignol/Rossignol/Look
3. Michael Matt (AUT) – Rossignol/Rossignol/Look
4. Clement Noel (FRA) – Dynastar/Lange/Look
5. Alexis Pinturault (FRA) – Head/Head/Head
6. Victor Muffat-Jeandet (FRA) – Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
7. Kristoffer Jakobsen (SWE) – Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
8. Daniel Yule (SUI) – Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
9. Dave Ryding (GBR) – Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
10. Sebastian Foss-Solevaag (NOR) – Voelkl/Dalbello/Marker

Official Results