HAFJELL, Norway — In a thrilling display of skill and determination, Loic Meillard of Switzerland claimed victory in the second-to-last men’s World Cup slalom of the season on Sunday. This win significantly strengthens his bid for the discipline title. Despite an early error in his final run, Meillard held onto his first-leg advantage to finish ahead of Atle Lie McGrath from Norway by a mere 0.21 seconds. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen trailed closely at 0.47 seconds behind, securing the third spot.
Reflecting on his performance, Meillard admitted, “The second run was intense with a few mishaps. I aimed to go all out, perhaps a touch excessively.” His recent achievements, including a giant slalom victory on the same course the previous day, mark a remarkable weekend for him. “Winning both the GS and slalom in one weekend is a dream for any technical skier,” he expressed.
Before this achievement, Meillard had only one World Cup slalom victory, in Aspen, Colorado, last year. He also claimed gold at the world championships in Austria in February. Henrik Kristoffersen, who currently leads the discipline standings, won both the giant slalom and slalom events in Slovenia two weeks earlier.
During Sunday’s race, Kristoffersen finished fifth, reducing his lead over Meillard to 47 points. With the final race of the season set for the World Cup finals in Sun Valley, Idaho, on March 27, Kristoffersen remains in a strong position. He needs only a third-place finish or better to secure the title, irrespective of Meillard’s outcome. “The gap is still significant,” acknowledged Meillard. “He needs to falter a bit, and I must replicate today’s exceptional performance to keep the competition alive until the end.”
Clement Noel of France remains another contender in the title race. The Olympic champion’s seventh-place finish means he trails Kristoffersen by 86 points. With 100 points available for a win, Noel stands a chance, though slim. While Kristoffersen has clinched the slalom title three times, most recently in 2022, a title this season would be a first for either Meillard or Noel.
Manuel Feller, last year’s slalom champion, failed to complete his first run, although he was no longer in contention for this year’s title. On familiar terrain, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen achieved his fifth podium finish. Having switched from the Norwegian to the Brazilian federation, he is aiming for Brazil’s first top-level ski race victory. “Hafjell is a formative place for me, with countless training runs,” said Braathen.
The event marked Hafjell’s return as a World Cup host for the first time since 2003. Notably absent from the slalom was Swiss sensation Marco Odermatt, who had secured both the overall and giant slalom titles the preceding day.
The regular season’s culmination paves the way for the finals in Sun Valley, with both men and women set to begin with speed events next weekend.
