Swiss skier Zenhaeusern leads season-ending World Cup slalom

SOLDEU, Andorra — Swiss skier Ramon Zenhaeusern maintained his slim chance of winning the World Cup slalom title Sunday by posting the fastest opening-run time in the last race of the season.

Zenhaeusern must win the race and hope for his rivals Lucas Braathen and Henrik Kristoffersen to falter. The Norwegians are 1-2 in the standings, with Braathen holding a lead of 32 points.

Braathen had the fastest splits in the middle sectors but finished 0.26 seconds behind Zenhaeusern in second after a mistake before the finishing flat.

Braathen would secure the discipline globe by holding on to that position in the final run later Sunday.

Kristoffersen trailed by 0.80 in fifth but would need to overtake teammate Braathen to have a shot at the title. Kristoffersen won the slalom title for the third time last season.

Daniel Yule was the only other globe contender coming into the race but the Swiss skier was more than two seconds off the pace in the opening run.

Overall World Cup champion Marco Odermatt does not compete in slaloms. The Swiss standout ended his season after winning Saturday’s giant slalom and setting the men’s record for most World Cup points in a single season with 2,042.