Loic Meillard golden again, 1st Swiss skier in 75 years to win men’s slalom at worlds | CBC Sports
Loic Meillard won his second world title and became the first Swiss skier in 75 years to take gold in the men’s slalom at the Alpine skiing world championships on Sunday in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria.
Meillard beat silver medallist Atle Lie McGrath of Norway by 0.26 seconds. Linus Strasser of Germany was 0.52 behind in third and took the bronze.
“It’s crazy, I know slalom can be tough and sometimes so many people can ski fast, so that it worked out today, it’s incredible,” Meillard said.
WATCH l Meillard ends Switzerland’s slalom world title drought:
Loic Meillard won his second gold medal, and third medal overall, at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria. It’s also Switzerland’s first slalom world title in 75 years.
Meillard earned his third medal after winning the team combined with Franjo von Allmen and placing third in the giant slalom.
It was the eighth medal for the Swiss men’s team, which has won four of the five men’s events. Sunday’s race was the final event of the worlds.
The last Swiss winner of slalom gold was Georges Schneider, who took gold at the 1950 worlds in Aspen, Colo. No Swiss skier had won a medal in the event for the past 22 years.
Olympic champion Clement Noel, who led after the first run, straddled a gate near the end of his second run and did not finish.
“You never wish to win with an `out’ for someone else,” Meillard said.
Canmore, Alta., native Erik Read finished 24th as the lone Canadian in the field with a total time of 1:58:08, 4.06 seconds off the pace.
WATCH l Canada’s Erik Read finishes 24th:
Erik Read of Canmore, Alta., finished 24th in the men’s slalom race, at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria.
Noel won the 2022 Olympic title but is yet to win a medal at the worlds. His best result was fourth two years ago, when he missed the podium by three-hundredths of a second.
Noel’s mistake meant France ended the world championships with no medals. The team was without other main medal hopes Alexis Pinturault and Cyprien Sarrazin because of injuries.
Silver was McGrath’s first medal at a major championship. He had to sit out the 2023 worlds with a knee injury.
His Norwegian teammate and defending champion Henrik Kristoffersen, who leads the World Cup season standings in the discipline, finished 13th.
WATCH l Read ‘focusing on the positives’ after competing in 6th worlds:
Erik Read of Canmore, Alta., spoke with CBC Sports’ Devin Heroux following his 24th-place finish in the men’s slalom race, at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria.
