Olympic champion Clement Noel wins World Cup slalom for his 2nd victory in two weeks

GURGL, Austria (AP) — Olympic champion Clement Noel held on to his commanding first-run lead to take a men’s World Cup slalom Sunday for his second win in two weeks and 12th overall.

The Frenchman lost time in the final run but still finished 0.43 seconds ahead of Kristoffer Jakobsen, denying the Swedish skier what would have been his first World Cup win.

Atle Lie McGrath of Norway, who was second after the opening run, dropped to third, 0.44 behind.

Noel also won the season-opening slalom in Finland a week ago for his first World Cup victory in 22 months.

“It's for sure really, really important," Noel said when asked in a course-side TV interview about starting the season with back-to-back wins.

“We all want to be fast, we all want to win some races, but I know there is some really tough competition. So, I'm more than happy to win today.”

Noel’s French teammate Steven Amiez placed fourth for his career-best result, with his father, 1996 slalom World Cup winner Sebastien Amiez, watching from the finish area.

World champion Henrik Kristoffersen, who was runner-up to Noel last week, improved from 13th position to finish sixth.

Watched by 9,800 spectators, Noel positioned himself for the win with a dominating opening run.

The Frenchman raced flawlessly down the Kirchenkar course to build a big lead of more than eight-tenths as many racers struggled on the icy steep, with McGrath and Amiez the only racers to finish less than a second off the lead.

“It was difficult for me as well. The feeling was tough, the snow is very icy,” said Noel, who overcame some mistakes in his final run.

“The feeling was not so good for everyone, it was a real battle. In the second run, I was confident at the start, but then I had a really bad feeling ... I was not really sure that it was enough to win."

Out of the 62 starters for the first run, 18 didn't finish.

Slalom World Cup champion Manuel Feller was among the fastest starters but straddled a gate shortly after the first split time, a week after he also failed to finish the first race of the season.

Feller, who led an Austrian sweep of the podium in Gurgl last year, finished fifth or better in each slalom on his way to winning the discipline title.

Feller’s predecessor as the slalom season champion, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, and Austrian great Marcel Hirscher both straddled a gate midway through their runs as well.

Pinheiro Braathen returned to the circuit this season with two fourth-place finishes after a one-year break and a switch from the Norwegian to the Brazilian federation.

Hirscher is the record eight-time overall champion and six-time winner of the slalom globe. He came out of retirement after five years this season to start for the Netherlands. Last week he finished his opening run too far behind to qualify for the second.

German skier Linus Strasser, who won the classic races in Kitzbuehel and Schladming last season, finished the opening run outside the top 30 and didn’t qualify.

There are no men's World Cup races next weekend as the circuit travels to Beaver Creek, Colorado for a downhill, super-G and giant slalom on Dec. 6-8.

Sweden's Kristoffer Jakobsen celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Gurgl, Austria, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

France's Clement Noel speeds down the course during the second run on his way to win an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Gurgl, Austria, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

France's Clement Noel, center, winner of an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, celebrates with second-placed Sweden's Kristoffer Jakobsen, left, and third-placed Norway's Atle Lie McGrath, in Gurgl, Austria, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

France's Clement Noel celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Gurgl, Austria, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Giovanni Maria Pizzato)

France's Clement Noel, right, celebrates winning an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Gurgl, Austria, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Giovanni Maria Pizzato)

Austria's Manuel Feller speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Gurgl, Austria, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Giovanni Maria Pizzato)

Netherland's Marcel Hirscher speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Gurgl, Austria, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Giovanni Maria Pizzato)

Brazil's Lucas Pinheiro Braathen concentrates ahead of an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Gurgl, Austria, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Brazil's Lucas Pinheiro Braathen speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Gurgl, Austria, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Giovanni Maria Pizzato)

France's Clement Noel speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Gurgl, Austria, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Giovanni Maria Pizzato)

France's Clement Noel starts an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Gurgl, Austria, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Lamar Jackson thought it was over. That the Baltimore Ravens' unwieldy season would end up in a familiar spot: the playoffs.

Then, rookie kicker Tyler Loop's potential game-winning field goal from 44 yards out drifted a little right. And then a little further right. And then a little further right still.

By the time it fluttered well wide of the goalposts, the playoffs were gone. So was Jackson's certainty after a 26-24 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday night sent the Ravens into what could be a turbulent offseason.

“I'm definitely stunned, man,” Jackson said. “I thought we had it in the bag. ... I don't know what else we can do.”

Jackson, who never really seemed fully healthy during his eighth season as he battled one thing after another, did his part. The two-time NFL MVP passed for 238 yards and three touchdowns, including two long connections with Zay Flowers in the fourth quarter that put the Ravens (8-9) in front.

It just wasn't enough. Baltimore's defense, which played most of the second half without star safety Kyle Hamilton after Hamilton entered the concussion protocol, wilted against 42-year-old Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers passed for a season-high 294 yards, including a 26-yard flip to a wide-open Calvin Austin with 55 seconds to go after a defender slipped, symbolic of a season in which Baltimore's defense only occasionally found its form.

Still, the Ravens had a chance when Jackson found Isaiah Likely for a 28-yard gain on fourth down from midfield. A couple of snaps later, the 24-year-old Loop walked on to try to lift Baltimore to its third straight division title.

Instead, the rookie said he “mishit” it. Whatever it was, it never threatened to sneak between the goalposts.

“It’s disappointing,” Loop said.

Loop was talking about the game. He might as well have been talking about his team's season.

The Ravens began 1-5 as Jackson dealt with injuries and the defense struggled to get stops. Baltimore found a way to briefly tie the Steelers for first in late November, only to then split its next four games, including a home loss to Pittsburgh.

Still, when Jackson and the Ravens walked onto the Acrisure Stadium turf on Sunday night in the 272nd and final game of the NFL regular season, Baltimore was confident. The Ravens drilled Pittsburgh in the opening round of the playoffs a year ago behind the ever-churning legs of running back Derrick Henry.

When Henry ripped off a gain of 40-plus yards on the game's first offensive snap, it looked like it was going to be more of the same. While Henry did rush for 126 yards and joined Hall of Famer Barry Sanders as the only running backs in NFL history to have five 1,500-yard seasons, he was less effective in the second half.

Even that first run was telling of what night it was going to be, as an illegal block by wide receiver Zay Flowers cost Baltimore some field position. The Ravens ended up scoring on the drive anyway, thanks to a 38-yard fourth-down flip from Jackson to a wide-open Devontez Walker, but it started a pattern that was hard to shake as several steps forward were met with one step back on a night the Ravens finished with nine penalties for 78 yards.

“We were having a lot of penalties, which kept stopping drives," Jackson said. “But I'm proud of my guys because we kept overcoming. We kept overcoming adversity and situations like this. Divisional games (can) be like that sometimes.”

Particularly when the Steelers are on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Pittsburgh has won 10 of the last 13 meetings. And while a handful of them have been in late-season matchups with the Ravens already assured of reaching the playoffs, the reality is the Steelers have been able to regularly do something that most others have not: found a way to beat Jackson.

“It comes down to situations like this,” Jackson said. “Two-point conversion one year. Field goal another year. And again this year. Just got to find a way to get that win here.”

And figure out who is going to be around to help get it.

Head coach John Harbaugh's 18th season in Baltimore ended with the Ravens missing the playoffs for just the second time in eight years. Jackson turns 29 this week and is still one of the most electric players in the league.

Yet Harbaugh and Jackson have yet to find a way to have that breakthrough season that Harbaugh enjoyed with Joe Flacco in 2013 when the Ravens won the Super Bowl.

There was hope when the season began that the roadblocks that have long been in the franchise's way — Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes chief among them — would be gone.

While the Ravens did get their way in a sense — the Chiefs will watch the playoffs from afar for the first time in a decade after a nightmarish season of their own — it never all came together.

Jackson declined to endorse Harbaugh returning for a 19th season, saying the loss was still too fresh to zoom out on what it might mean for the franchise going forward.

Harbaugh, for his part, certainly seems up for running it back in the fall.

“I love these guys,” he said afterward. “I love these guys.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, right, hands the ball off to running back Derrick Henry (22) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh talks with an offical during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, left, greets Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) after an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Jabrill Peppers (40) reacts after Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop (33) missed a field goal attempt in the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)