Swedes take first, third places in World Cup men's slalom in Finland LEVY, Finland, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Defending men's World Cup slalom champion Andre Myhrer won the season-opener by a narrow margin Sunday on the foggy race course at Levy, Finland. The Swede recorded the fastest time in the first run and held on for a combined time of 1 minute, 49.55 seconds, just .06 seconds ahead of Austria's Marcel Hirscher. Jens Byggmark of Sweden took third in 1:50.16. Ted Ligety was the top U.S. finisher in 13th place. The race was held above the Arctic Circle but a warm spell pushed temperatures above freezing and generated thick fog that made the racing trickier. The U.S. Ski Association said in a written statement the weather across Europe last week was less than optimal for training.