After the World Championship defeat in Saalbach, Henrik Kristoffersen and Timon Haugan celebrate a double victory for Norway in the slalom in Kranjska Gora - and for the "Van Deer" ski brand. Marcel Hirscher cheers along on Instagram.
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- Henrik Kristoffersen wins both the giant slalom and the slalom at the weekend in Kranjska Gora, thus achieving a major goal.
- After the frustration of the World Championships, this is particularly satisfying for the Norwegian. "As I said yesterday: I'm not such a bad skier," says Kristoffersen after Sunday's race.
- Kristoffersen's ski supplier "Van Deer" and its owner Marcel Hirscher are also celebrating the double success in Slovenia.
Ski legend Marcel Hirscher celebrates his 36th birthday on Sunday. But the anniversary is not the only reason for the former World Cup dominator to celebrate on this day. The men's slalom in Kranjska Gora is also going to the birthday boy's liking.
Two Norwegians, Henrik Kristoffersen and Timon Haugan, both skiing with Hirscher's "Van Deer" ski brand, raced to a double victory in Slovenia. "Double victory in Kranjska Gora - a nice birthday present," Hirscher cheers on Instagram afterwards and is "incredibly proud" of the whole team: "What a weekend for Van Deer!"
World Cup frustration in Saalbach
Kristoffersen not only wins the slalom, but is also faster than the entire competition in the giant slalom on Saturday. Even dominator Marco Odermatt loses half a second to the Norwegian in the final standings. This is good news for Kristoffersen and his supplier.
Because at the World Championships in Saalbach, Kristoffersen, Haugan and their supplier have to take a bitter blow. The two Norwegians clearly missed out on the podium in the giant slalom and slalom and left without a medal. "If nothing comes back from my skis and the snow, it's a bit slow with my skiing style," Kristoffersen complains about his "Van Deer" skis at the time.
Kristoffersen: "I'm not such a bad skier"
It sounds completely different on Sunday in Kranjska Gora. "It's unbelievable. It's only the third year with Van Deer - and it's really cool how good results we're getting after just three years," says Haugan. Kristoffersen, on the other hand, says: "Today wasn't about the equipment, it was about the skiing - and as I said yesterday: I'm not such a bad skier."
On the contrary: Kristoffersen is on the verge of winning the slalom globe after his victory in Slovenia. He is 77 points ahead of Clément Noël, with Loïc Meillard in third place, 102 points behind. There are only two races left on the program until the end of the season.
However, when asked about the favorable starting position, the 30-year-old emphasizes: "It doesn't matter. The globe is not that important. For me, the greatest joy is winning races." Kristoffersen does just that twice within 24 hours in Slovenia - and in two different disciplines: "It was a big goal to win the giant slalom and slalom in one weekend."
