First time in 27 years! Swede makes ski history in Levi

The first run of the slalom season opener in Levi, Finland, had several surprises in store.

Not only is Austrian Joshua Sturm sitting in a surprising third place (to the race report>>>), but Sweden's William Hansson also stormed into the top five with bib 47. 35 racers later, a compatriot of the 25-year-old pulled off another sensation – and made ski history in the process.

From bib 82 into the top 15

Wearing bib 82, Gustav Wissting still managed to qualify for the final run and even surged up to 14th place. According to "Eurosport", no racer has achieved this with such a high bib number in 27 years. Such a high finish with that bib number is also an unprecedented feat.

Whether Wissting, Hansson & Co. can back up their strong first-run performances and turn them into World Cup points will be revealed starting at 1:00 PM: that is when the final run in Levi gets underway (to the LIVE ticker>>>).