Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen came from behind to beat World Cup overall champion Marcel Hirscher in the first slalom of the season in Levi, Finland, on Sunday.
American Ted Ligety was 18th.
Kristoffersen, 20, trailed Hirscher by .06 after the first of two runs inside the Arctic Circle. But he came back with the fastest second run to edge the Austrian by .12. German Felix Neureuther was third.
Kristoffersen, who became the youngest Olympic Alpine medalist with a bronze in Sochi, won his second career World Cup race.
Hirscher made his 60th career World Cup podium and increased his overall standings lead to 60 points over German Fritz Dopfer.
Ligety, who is aiming to improve his slalom results to challenge Hirscher for the overall title, hasn’t finished in the top 10 of a World Cup slalom in 23 months.
“There’s definitely a lot to improve,” Ligety said. “We haven’t had good training volume in slalom, really, because Colorado is in such tough conditions.
“I want to be able to get on the podium. I think I have that kind of speed. I just have trouble relaying that into the race and having consistency.”
The men’s Alpine skiing World Cup continues with a downhill and super-G in Lake Louise, Alberta, on Thanksgiving weekend.
Bode Miller is expected to make his season debut there.
