Finnish prodigy Hallberg leads night slalom: Can he end Finland’s World Cup drought?

By Canadian Press on January 7, 2026.

MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO, Italy (AP) — Finnish prodigy Eduard Hallberg will aim for a first World Cup men’s victory for his country in nearly 20 years as he led after the opening run of a night slalom Wednesday.

Hallberg leads Swiss racer Tanguy Nef by 0.17 seconds, with Olympic champion Clément Noël 0.23 off the pace in Madonna Di Campiglio.

In November, the 22-year-old Hallberg earned Finland’s first World Cup men’s podium result since 2007 by finishing third in his home race in Levi.

However, the top 18 are all within a second of Hallberg.

The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics will take place Feb. 6-22, with men’s Alpine skiing to be held in Bormio.

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AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

The Associated Press