Olympic ski champion Noel wins season's 1st World Cup slalom; Hirscher fails to qualify for 2nd run

LEVI, Finland (AP) — Olympic champion Clement Noel dominated the first men’s World Cup slalom of the season on Sunday for his first victory in 22 months.

The Frenchman protected his opening-run lead to beat Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway by 0.80 seconds. Swiss allrounder Loic Meillard placed third, 0.95 behind.

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen came fourth, missing by one tenth what would have been the first ever World Cup podium result in Alpine skiing for Brazil.

Record eight-time overall champion Marcel Hirscher, a three-time winner in Levi, failed to qualify for the second run in his first slalom since coming out of retirement after five years.

Noel overcame what looked like a costly mistake in his opening run when he had to brake in the steep middle section of the Levi Black course, but he put in a nearly error-free second run.

“It was a tough fight. Really, really happy about my second run,” Noel said. “It was quite some good skiing, I think. I knew that Henrik set the bar high. In the pitch he skied really, really well. So, I just tried to push really hard because I knew it was tight.”

It was Noel's 11th career World Cup win and first since triumphing at a night race in Austria in January 2023 — his only other victory since winning Olympic gold in Beijing.

Kristoffersen posted the fastest time in a frenetic final run that saw him rise from 11th position. The two-time slalom world champion was aiming for his first World Cup win since January 2023, and called his runner-up finish “100 per cent a step in the right direction.”

Meillard, who missed the season-opening giant slalom three weeks ago after tweaking his back during warmups, was the runner-up to Swiss teammate Marco Odermatt in the overall standings last season.

Odermatt does not compete in slaloms.

Manuel Feller, the defending World Cup slalom champion, failed to score World Cup points. The Austrian finished 1.18 seconds off the lead in the opening run before straddling a gate in the second.

Feller was fifth or better in each slalom race last season.

Pinheiro Braathen, returning this season and starting for Brazil after leaving the Norwegian federation a year ago, started 33rd but worked his way up to fourth, matching his achievement in the season-opening GS.

“It's such a relief that I get these results in slalom and GS, I'm so grateful,” Pinheiro Braathen said. “It was really a tough race today, with this tricky ice, it was a brutal return to slalom.”

Hirscher finished the opening run 2.59 off the lead in 46th position in his first slalom race in 2,072 days.

The Austrian great, now starting for the Netherlands, returned to World Cup racing this season after his retirement in 2019.

“The first gates I thought that’s going nicely but then it relatively quickly turned into one of the worst slalom runs of my life,” Hirscher said.

American skier Benjamin Ritchie was fifth-fastest in the second run and finished the race in 13th, as the skier from Waitsfield, Vermont improved on his previous career-best result by seven places.

While Levi is an annual stop on the women’s World Cup circuit, with Mikaela Shiffrin winning on Saturday, the men had not raced in Finnish Lapland since 2019.

The World Cup returns to Austria for a women's and a men's slalom in Gurgl next weekend.

The winner France's Clement Noel celebrates on podium with a young reindeer after an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Levi, Finland, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen reacts after completing an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Levi, Finland, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

From left, second placed Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen, the winner France's Clement Noel and third placed Switzerland's Loic Meillard celebrate on podium after an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Levi, Finland, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

The winner France's Clement Noel celebrates on podium after an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Levi, Finland, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

France's Clement Noel reacts after winning an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Levi, Finland, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Switzerland's Loic Meillard speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Levi, Finland, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Brazil' Lucas Braathen speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Levi, Finland, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Netherland's Marcel Hirscher speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Levi, Finland, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

France's Clement Noel speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Levi, Finland, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II announced Monday he is suspending his campaign for governor and instead joining the race for secretary of state of the battleground state.

Gilchrist, a progressive Democrat from Detroit, did not cite a specific reason for the change in his video announcement, but said he is not finished being a “public servant.” His departure clears up the Democratic primary and benefits the frontrunner, Jocelyn Benson, who is the current Secretary of State, in the race to replace term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The secretary of state is Michigan's top election official, a highly politicized and visible role since the 2020 presidential election.

“Michigan has been ground zero in the battle for free and fair elections before, and it will be again,” Gilchrist said.

As Whitmer’s second in command and her running mate in two elections, Gilchrist struggled to match Benson’s name recognition and fundraising. He reported having around $378,000 of cash on hand as of October compared to Benson’s $2.98 million.

Benson is now set to face only Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson in the Democratic primary in August.

The inclusion of a well-known independent candidate has created a new problem for Democrats this year. Former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is avoiding costly primaries altogether by running as an independent. The Michigan Democratic Party slammed the former Democrat last week for not standing up to President Donald Trump’s second term policies.

In the Republican primary, U.S. Rep. John James, former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, state Senate Leader Aaric Nesbitt and former Michigan House speaker Tom Leonard are jockeying for the nomination.

In his bid to become secretary of state, Gilchrist will face four other Democrats: Barb Byrum, Ingham County clerk; Aghogho Edevbie, deputy secretary of state; Suzanna Shkreli, a former Whitmer aide and commissioner of the Michigan State Lottery; and Adam Hollier, a former state senator from Detroit.

Michigan does not hold primary elections for the secretary of state position; the nominee is chosen by precinct delegates during party conventions. The Michigan Democratic Party convention is scheduled for April 19.

State Republicans plan to hold their nominating convention March 28 and GOP figures chasing the party's nomination for secretary of state include Anthony Forlini, Macomb County Clerk, and Monica Yatooma, an Oakland County executive.

In addition to the office of the governor and secretary of state, Michigan voters will be selecting a new state attorney general and a U.S. senator in November.

FILE - Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II waits before the State of the State address, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, at the state Capitol in Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis, file)