Timon Haugan won the last Slalom of 2024 in Alta Badia, his second triumph in the Alpine Ski World Cup. With his victory, he confirmed he is one of the most consistent Slalom racers in the World Cup. Except for Kitzbuehel (DNF2), and the season opener in Levi (he finished in 14th position) Haugan has finished in the Top-10 in every Slalom World Cup race since Palisades Tahoe in 2023. Last season he finished in third position in the Slalom standings.
Loic Meillard finished in second place, 1.13 seconds behind Haugan. Atle Lie McGrath rounded up the podium in third place 1.26 seconds off the pace.
The 27-year-old, who celebrated his first World Cup victory in March at the World Cup Finals in Saalbach, made a strong impression in both runs, especially in the first one in which only his teammate Atle Lie McGrath (+0.31) and Clement Noel (0.99) kept the gap under a second.
"It was very good. I try to ski clean and not think too much, just push. I know that if you pull back on this mountain and in these conditions, you're going to be left behind. You just have to full attack. It couldn't be better. Winning, that's what we all want. I'm so happy to get a break now and even better with a win," Haugan said.
Despite suffering from back pain, Loic Meillard climbed from eighth to second place after setting the second-fastest time in the second run.
"It wasn't easy. What I didn't do well in the first run, I did better. It almost feels like a victory. Because this morning I thought the top 10 would be perfect. I just wanted to do my best without thinking. I'm now trying to stay consistent and always give it my all, and then we'll see what's possible in the Slalom World Cup. A podium is always something special for me," Meillard said.
With a third place in today's Slalom in Alta Badia, Atle Lie McGrath claimed his fourth podium of the season, the third one in Slalom. It's his thirteenth podium in the Alpine Ski World Cup.
"I'm a little bit disappointed in my second run. There's something about knowing you have a big lead and then coming in behind. I felt like I lost a little grip and I lost my momentum. It's a hill where you need to carry your momentum. That's why I was disappointed because I felt how slow it went into the finish," McGrath said.
Henrik Kristoffersen finished fourth today and continues to lead the Slalom standings ahead of Loic Meillard and Clement Noel in second and third respectively.
Haugan gave Norway its 200th victory in the Alpine Ski World Cup. The Norwegian team set the pace again in the Slalom in Alta Badia. It's the Norwegians' second Slalom victory this season, after Henrik Kristoffersen's victory in Val d'Isere.
Competition in the Men's Slalom Alpine Ski World Cup is fierce. Since the start of the 2021-2022 winter season, 15 skiers -Henrik Kristoffersen (5), Manuell Feller (4), Clément Noël (4), Linus Strasser (3), Daniel Yule (3), Lucas Braathen (3), Timon Haugan (2), Atle Lie McGrath (2), Ramon Zenhäusern (2), Sebastian Foss-Solevåg, Johannes Strolz, Dave Ryding, Alexander Steen Olsen, Marco Schwarz, and Loic Meillard,- have won at least one Alpine Ski World Cup event.
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