Braathen was third at the midpoint of today's giant slalom in Alta Badia, but held his nerve in toughening conditions to claim the victory by a tiny margin.

World Cup leader Marco Odermatt was ninth at the halfway stage following an uncharacteristic ski, but was second-fastest on run two to jump up to third and join the two Norwegians on the podium.

Frenchman Alexis Pinturault and then Slovenia's Žan Kranjec, the halfway leader, completed the top five.

Andorra's Joan Verdu had the fastest second run - having been 28th first time around - and led for a long while before finishing 12th.

That beat Verdu's previous best World Cup finish of 17th.

The victory is 22-year-old Braathen's fourth on the World Cup circuit and second this season, after a slalom win in Val d'Isère.

With another giant slalom scheduled tomorrow in Alta Badia, Braathen will fancy his chances of adding to those totals.

"Winning is like a drug, you just need more of it," Braathen said post-race.

Odermatt now has 696 points in the overall season standings, 171 more than Norway's Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, his closest rival.

Odermatt is seeking to win a second crystal globe in a row.

Braathen, on 315 points, is up to third.