Myhrer claims Levi slalom

Skiing through a heavy curtain of fog Sweden’s Andre Myhrer started the new season the way he finished the last when he won the opening men’s World Cup slalom race in Levi, Finland. The Slalom world number one – who claimed the discpline’s title by winning the last two races of the season last winter to narrowly beat Austria’s Marcel Hirscher – was in fine fettle at the world cup circuit’s northernmost venue. Myhrer crossed the line in a combined time of one minute 49.55 seconds. Once again he got the better of Hirscher. Last season’s overall World Cup champion produced a solid couple of runs to crossed the line for second place – his best placing at the Finnish resort after having never made it into the top ten there. The Austrian sportsman of the year, who was third in the opening giant slalom two weeks ago in Soelden crossed over a mere six hundredths of a second slower than his rival. He does however remain at the top of the overall world cup standings on 140 points – 10 points clear of Italian Manfred Moelgg who was fourth. The third and final place on the podium in Levi went to Jens Byggmark who completed a fine day for the Swedes. His result was made all the more impressive as the 27-year-old almost hit the deck twice and had not made it on a World Cup rostrum since 2008.