A happy Thomas Tumler (right), a moderately satisfied Loïc Meillard
Image: Keystone
In the World Championship giant slalom, silver goes to Tumler, bronze to Meillard
Image: Keystone
For the 35-year-old Tumler (here with coach Thierry Meynet), it is the late culmination of a difficult career
Image: Keystone
Tumler already secured silver with Switzerland in the team competition
Image: Keystone
This is also Loïc Meillard's second World Championship medal in the second race in Saalbach
Image: Keystone
He took gold in the team combined with Franjo von Allmen
Image: Keystone
For defending champion Marco Odermatt, the race ends with an unusual and thankless 4th place
Image: Keystone
A happy Thomas Tumler (right), a moderately satisfied Loïc Meillard
Image: Keystone
In the World Championship giant slalom, silver goes to Tumler, bronze to Meillard
Image: Keystone
For the 35-year-old Tumler (here with coach Thierry Meynet), it is the late culmination of a difficult career
Image: Keystone
Tumler already secured silver with Switzerland in the team competition
Image: Keystone
This is also Loïc Meillard's second World Championship medal in the second race in Saalbach
Image: Keystone
He took gold in the team combined with Franjo von Allmen
Image: Keystone
For defending champion Marco Odermatt, the race ends with an unusual and thankless 4th place
Image: Keystone
Marco Odermatt misses out on defending his title in the World Championship giant slalom. Thomas Tumler and Loïc Meillard secure silver and bronze. In the end, only one is really satisfied.
14.02.2025, 18:05
14.02.2025, 19:42
SDA
While the new world champion Raphael Haaser just shakes his head in disbelief at what has just happened and Loïc Meillard smiles as he takes note of third place, Thomas Tumler lets his joy run free. Who could blame him, this calming figure who had to turn 35 before he was able to celebrate his greatest successes in alpine ski racing. "It always took me a bit longer, even back in school," joked Tumler after the race. "But it pays not to give up."
He followed up his victory in the giant slalom in Beaver Creek in December with silver in the team competition at the World Championships in Saalbach. And now his first individual medal at a major event. Second place, beaten only by a Haaser who had outgrown himself.
Tumler's second run, which saw him move up from 6th to 2nd place, was anything but ideal. "It was a run on the very last groove. I said to myself before the start: either 'DNF', on the grid or on the podium. I forced it, skied at the limit like never before this season," said the skier from Samnaun, analyzing his run. Tumler was close to retirement several times. However, he knew how to keep up the pace at all times. "The only thing that counts at the World Championships is the medal. There are no tactics. I'm super happy that I took such a risk and never gave up."
The reward for suffering and pain
These are words that Tumler chooses for his second run. But they are also words that fit his career. Time and again, injuries set the sensitive technician back, time and again his back went on strike. So much so that he thought about ending his career several times.
The first time Tumler considered calling it a day was in January 2017, when he was traveling home from Kitzbühel and his back hurt so much that he couldn't get out of the car at a petrol station without help. A slipped disc followed in December 2020, which led to an operation. The results suffer from both physical and mental blockages. Between 2016 and 2020, he only finished in the top ten four times. A future in the Swiss-Ski squad is questionable.
"I remember three years ago when I got down on my knees in front of Tom Stauffer at the Swiss Championships in St. Moritz and asked him for another chance. I knew that my career would be over if I was no longer with Swiss-Ski." The head coach had mercy. And made a decision that has now culminated in double silver at the World Championships in Saalbach.
"As stupid as it sounds, the injuries have done me good. They grounded me, showed me that I have to be patient and what a privilege we have." At the start of the giant slalom, he was already very grateful to be here, healthy and in the top group. "Deep down, I was already dreaming of a medal. The fact that it's actually happened now is incredible."
Turned the tables, missed the chance
Loïc Meillard was secretly dreaming of the gold medal. In the end it was bronze, although gold would have been within his grasp after dominator Marco Odermatt's less than perfect run. In the knowledge that he had missed a great opportunity, the French-Swiss racer spoke of being "a little disappointed" after the race. Complaining on a high level, some may think, after all it is Meillard's second medal in his second World Championship race. But there was this golden opportunity to step out of Odermatt's shadow.
After all, Meillard had luck on his side for once, beating Odermatt to fourth place by seven hundredths - just like in the 2021 giant slalom classic in Adelboden. Back then, the teammates were separated by just two hundredths. In the 33 World Cup giant slaloms since then in which both have started and finished, Odermatt has always been the faster of the two. A grueling series for Meillard, which has now come to an end.
Odermatt, for his part, missed out on successfully defending his title. As in the downhill, the man from Nidwalden, who had become world champion in the super-G with a brilliant run, showed earthly traits and not, as so often, his best skiing in the decisive moments. "Of course the disappointment is still there today, but all in all it was still a successful World Championships. I would probably have signed that if I had known beforehand that I would leave Saalbach as world champion - and then also in the super-G, where I was still missing the title."
In the end, only Haaser stood in the way of another Swiss triple success with Thomas Tumler as world champion. That would have been too cheesy even for the man from Graubünden.
