Foss-Solevaag wins men's slalom after Norway loses 3 skiers to knee injuries

Sebastian Foss-Solevaag earned his first World Cup win Sunday, boosting the morale of the Norwegian ski team after it was hit by a series of season-ending injuries.

Foss-Solevaag won a slalom in dominating style, clocking the fastest time in both runs in a combined one minute 46.23 seconds to beat Marco Schwarz by 0.76 seconds, a week after the Austrian had captured his first career win.

"The second run was a dream run," the Norwegian said from Flachau, Austria.

Foss-Solevaag's maiden win came a day after his teammate Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, the defending overall champion, became the third Norwegian in eight days to be ruled out by a severe knee injury.

WATCH | Sebastian Foss-Solevaag's 'team victory':

Norway's Foss-Solevaag gets first World Cup win

4 years ago

Duration 2:57

Sebastian Foss-Solevaag of Norway recorded his first ever World Cup victory Sunday at the Flachau, Austria slalom event crossing the line with a two-run time of 1:46.23.

After Lucas Braathen and Atle Lie McGrath picked up season-ending injuries at a giant slalom in Switzerland last week, Kilde tore ligaments in his right knee in a crash during super-G training in Austria on Saturday.

"We are not the biggest team," said Foss-Solevaag, who called his triumph "a team victory."

"We are the attacking Vikings, we are working together. I wouldn't have done it without them, any of the coaches and the teammates," he said. "This shows us that we [have] a good team spirit, and it also shows than another [racer] of our team can also win. That's nice."

Pinturault suddenly holds comfortable lead

Foss-Solevaag became the sixth different winner in six slaloms this season.

Calgary's Erik Read was 26th of 26 finishers in 1:50.05 after placing 27th a day earlier. He earned points for an 11th time this season and has four top-15 performances.

Overall World Cup leader Alexis Pinturault climbed from eighth position after the opening run to third, 0.95 behind Foss-Solevaag.

The Frenchman is a strong favourite for the overall title following Kilde's injury.

Pinturault leads with 778 points ahead of Kilde with 560, but Marco Odermatt of Switzerland, who has 501, has now become the Frenchman's closest challenger.

The men's World Cup will stay in Austria for two downhills and a super-G in Kitzbuehel next weekend.