MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO, Italy -- Marco Schwarz's mission to challenge Swiss dominator Marco Odermatt for the overall World Cup ski title is on track.
After eight races, the Austrian skier has become No. 1 in the season standings.
For Schwarz, a former slalom specialist who turned into an all-event skier, the lead is a first reward for his ambition to start in as many races on the 45-event calendar as possible.
On Friday, Schwarz won a night race in Italy to take the lead, also in the slalom standings. He improved from sixth position after the opening leg to win by 0.25 seconds from Olympic champion Clement Noel.
The Frenchman was the first-run leader, and aiming for only his second victory since winning Olympic gold in February 2022.
British skier Dave Ryding posted the second-fastest time in the final run and climbed from 15th to third place for his seventh career podium finish.
In the overall standings, Schwarz overtook two-time defending champion Odermatt by eight points. The Swiss skier does not compete in slaloms.
"For sure, it's one of the best Christmas gifts so far to win this classic here in Madonna. It's unbelievable," Schwarz said.
"But I have not thought about the overall World Cup for a second. It's only the start of the season, there are still a lot of races. But you need the big points, like 'Odi' is getting them in giant slalom and the speed events."
Odermatt won his second overall title last season when he racked up a men's record of 2,042 points, 702 more than runner-up Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.
Schwarz finished last season in seventh, nearly 1,200 points behind Odermatt.
Still, the Austrian hoped to close the gap in this campaign by competing in more events than Odermatt. With 180 points from two slaloms, his strategy is working so far.
The Austrian's results in the other six races include two more podiums and a fourth and a fifth place. And Schwarz was leading the season-opening giant slalom when it was cancelled due to bad weather.
In the discipline standings, Schwarz passed teammate Manuel Feller who won the only previous slalom. On Friday, Feller finished fifth.
Noel's first run on the Canalone Miramonti course didn't clock the fastest time in any of the four sections, but he still built a lead of 0.37 seconds. He couldn't hold it in the second run.
"Second is a good position, but I hoped for a bit more after the first run," Noel said. "Marco was very fast. Maybe I can win again later in the season when Marco gets tired from doing all races."
Daniel Yule, who won the race in 2022 for the third time, lost his balance and the Swiss skier missed a gate in his second run.
Henrik Kristoffersen, the slalom world champion and also a three-time winner of the night race, placed sixth.
The race was the sixth in eight men's World Cups in Italy within 16 days. Next up are a downhill and a super-G in Bormio next Thursday and Friday.