World Champion Loic Meillard completed a perfect weekend with a World Cup Slalom victory in Hafjell. Atle Lie McGrath finished in second place +0.21 seconds behind Meillard. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen rounded up the podium 0.47 seconds off the pace. After his victory in the Giant Slalom on Saturday, Meillard delivered an impressive performance in the first run, setting the best time overcoming windy conditions on the steep pitch. However, in the second run, two mistakes nearly cost him the chance for victory. In the end, he managed to finish ahead of Norwegian McGrath and Brazilian Braathen.
This is Meillard's second Slalom World Cup victory, following his win in Aspen the previous year.
"I'm happy it worked out. It was a wild run with a few mistakes, but it worked. For any technical skier, it's a dream to win both days, in the Giant Slalom and the Slalom. My performance in Slalom has been quite strong. It's been an excellent Slalom season, and I aim to maintain this momentum with one race remaining," Meillard said.
The battle for the Slalom Crystal Globe will definitely be decided in the last race of the season at the World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, USA.
Henrik Kristoffersen finished in 5th place today. The 30-year-old Norwegian skier leads the Slalom standings with 612 points. With only one remaining Slalom on the Calendar, Kristoffersen has just a 47-point cushion ahead of Loic Meillard (565). Clement Noel (526) is in third place 86 points behind.
Loic Meillard and Kristoffersen have been the most consistent Slalom skiers this season. In 11 World Cup Slalom races, Meillard has two DNFs but has been in the Top-5 in the other nine races. In this season's World Cup Slalom races, Kristoffersen has one DNF and has finished within the top eight in the other ten races, achieving five podium finishes and two wins in Val d'Isere and Kranjska Gora.
Clement Noel has achieved a career-high by winning four World Cup Slalom races this season. His performances have been inconsistent: out of ten World Cup starts, he has secured four victories, but only managed two other finishes better than 10th place—a sixth place in Alta Badia and a seventh place today—along with two DNFs.
Kristoffersen can win his fourth Slalom Crystal Globe (2016, 2020, and 2022). He can join Alberto Tomba on four Slalom globes, behind only Ingemar Stenmark (8) and Marcel Hirscher (6).
Winning the Slalom Crystal Globe will be a first for Loïc Meillard and Clément Noël.
The 28-year-old Swiss talent has improved his ranking in the Slalom standings every year of his career, ranking 42-22-16-14-9-7-6-4 from 2017 to 2024.
Despite being the reigning Olympic Slalom champion, Noel has never won the Slalom Crystal Globe, having finished second three times (2019, 2020, and 2021).