The Carrick-Smith brothers sweep the podium at Coronet Peak, Aline Danioth wins the women’s slalom. Meanwhile, Haugan...

Between training and racing, competition is fierce in the Southern Hemisphere. In recent hours, after the first two weeks of work split between Lake Tekapo, Treble Cone and Cardrona, the giant slalom specialists from the Norwegian men’s World Cup group have also entered the heart of their preparations and are increasing the level of difficulty. The sole exception is Henrik Kristoffersen, who arrived in Chile last weekend to train at El Colorado.

While Atle Lie McGrath is putting in the work on the giant slalom course in the Roundhill Ski Area, Timon Haugan has held sessions on the wide gates at Ohau, in the incomparable setting of New Zealand’s South Island, where the US team led by Paula Moltzan is also training.

Today in New Zealand, there was another FIS event, once again also counting toward the national championships. At Coronet Peak, following Tuesday’s giant slaloms, it was time for the slaloms, and the men’s event produced a Carrick-Smith brothers’ sweep. Luca, the most “experienced” and fresh from an entire winter in the World Cup, dominated the race, finishing 1.31 and 1.80 seconds ahead of Zak and Freddy respectively (the twins were born in 2007). France’s Skabar was once again right there, just 7 hundredths off the podium and ahead of Americans Krupka and Mikell.

Giovanni Ceccarelli had a solid 16th-place finish. The 2010-born skier, a nephew and son of champions, was the only Italian to reach the finish, as Francesco Riccardo Zucchini, fifth in the giant slalom, went out in the second run. Jesse Mutton, 18th, was the best New Zealander and therefore national champion, as was Mikayla Smyth among the women after finishing fifth in the race won by Aline Danioth.

The 1998-born Swiss skier beat Molly Butler by 21 hundredths, with the Briton back on the podium and well clear of Australian Phoebe Heaydon, third, 1.12 seconds ahead of fellow Swiss skier Amalie Klopfenstein and Smyth, who finished 2.58 seconds back. Matilde Rava went out in the second run after finishing 26th yesterday.

From Friday, September 4, to Monday, September 7, Coronet Peak will host four giant slaloms and four slaloms counting toward the Australian New Zealand Cup.