Sensation in Saalbach: Haaser surprised and becomes giant slalom world champion!

Sensation in Saalbach: Haaser surprised and becomes giant slalom world champion!

In a gripping competition at the Alpine World Cup in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, 27-year-old Raphael Haaser from Austria delivered the surprise of the day and won the giant slalom. Haaser secured the title in front of over 20,000 enthusiastic spectators, while the big favorite Marco Odermatt, Olympic champion and multiple World Cup winner, had to do with a disappointing fourth place. On the way to victory, Haaser showed nerve strength and rising shape after he had only given his comeback after a serious knee injury a week ago and had already won a silver medal in the Super-G, as it Laola1 reported.

Haaser's way to victory

The crucial moment came in the second run when Haaser catapulted himself to first place from a fifth place. His teammates Thomas Tumler and Loic Meillard secured silver and bronze and underlined the strength of the Swiss ski team. Haaser, who has never won a World Cup race, surprised everyone and made it clear that not only the victory, but also the view is important to him that "there is more important things than that", as he said in the emotional moment after his triumph.
His coach Martin Kroisleitner was visibly proud of the performance of his protégé and emphasized that Haaser's first round and risky Second run were decisive for success. This victory could now be more than justified for future nominations in the giant slalom!

The German participant Anton Grammel also showed a strong performance by improving ten places in the second round and thus setting the twelfth place as the best German. The German gentlemen are still waiting for a medal at this World Cup, while Lena Dürr and Linus Straßer are considered a medal attendant at the upcoming Slalom races, reports ZDF .