Loïc Meillard took 2nd place in the Wengen slalom. The Hérémence skier was only beaten by Henrik Kristoffersen by twenty hundredths.
It will therefore not be this year that a Swiss will erase Joël Gaspoz from the tables as the last winner of the Wengen slalom. The Valaisan has kept this ‘record’ which has held since 1987 for one more year. Loïc Meillard did not go far, but he missed a little something to get ahead of a decidedly very strong Henrik Kristoffersen in dantesque conditions. The Norwegian won a 30th success in the World Cup, his 23rd in the discipline.
‘He didn’t miss much, the skiing is there, admitted Loïc Meillard at the microphone of the RTS. The entrance to the wall was sporty. But a new podium in slalom, it’s nice. I knew we would have to fight, but I think I managed to stay clean on this second run.’
Terribly strong since the start of the season and especially during his victory at Adelboden, Lucas Braathen completes the podium.
Good Zenhäusern
The overall result of the Swiss is not so bad. Ramon Zenhäusern is finding a form more in line with his potential. Bürchen’s double meter struggled like crazy on both courses to finally finish 9th. ‘I was a bit like a kangaroo in the wall, he noted. I have to manage my upper body well. But I’m happy with this new top 10.’
In conditions that he does not like at all, Daniel Yule ‘limited the damage’. The skier from Val Ferret is content with 11th place, being fully aware that he had the skis to enter the top 10 without faults during his second run.
28th at the end of the first heat, Sandro Simonet made a good comeback. The Grison took 16th place, just ahead of Marc Rochat. A sixth Swiss scored points, it is Luca Aerni (25th).
Tanguy Nef still experienced elimination in the first round.
The Men’s World Cup will now head to Kitzbühel for three races including the traditional slalom on Sunday. The athletes all hope to have a less complicated track to ski than in the Bernese Oberland.
/ATS
