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Drama in the slalom: ÖSV men in Hafjell without a win - bitter relapse!
Loic Meillard wins in Hafjell and stops Norway's winning run. ÖSV team continues to fight for podium places in the World Cup.
Drama in the slalom: ÖSV men in Hafjell without a win - bitter relapse!
In the dramatic slalom race in Hafjell, the Swiss Loic Meillard triumphed. With his victory, he not only completed the giant slalom and slalom double, but also prevented a Norwegian quadruple victory. Loud VOL.AT Meillard prevailed in a tricky situation with the ski pole between his legs and impressively showed that he is in top form. Behind him came Atle Lie McGrath (+0.21 seconds) and the Brazilian ex-Norwegian Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (+0.47).
Austria's slalom riders, on the other hand, were unsuccessful in the fight for the podium places, which caused a lot of frustration. Fabio Gstrein, who was still in third place at half time, fell back to sixth place. The Tyrolean described the route as difficult and stated: “Not the best” – a clear message about his inadequate performance. How South Tyrol News reported that the Austrian team has now gone 40 races without a win and the slalom athletes were only able to reach the podium three times in eleven races.
ÖSV team continues to fight
Manuel Feller, who was in poor health, did not survive the first run and Dominik Raschner also retired early. Marco Schwarz was unable to convince in the second run and ended up in 17th place in the first run. Several other athletes, such as Johannes Strolz and Adrian Pertl, continued their disappointing seasons and ranked near the bottom of the field. For many, including Michael Matt, the lack of good results remains a pressing issue that indicates stagnant performance.As Gstrein mentioned, the challenge remains to “deepen the analysis and do better in the finale”.
Meillard, who defended his lead in the slalom rankings with a 47-point lead over Henrik Kristoffersen after his victory, is optimistic about the remaining races in the USA. “I feel good, I still have strength,” said the Swiss, spoiled for victory. In a year in which the Swiss have already achieved 41 podium places, further successes are expected. Gstrein expresses the anticipation and ambition to see the last race as an opportunity for more.