Matthias Iten started the season as the big underdog - and shone in the Wengen slalom with 6th place, fulfilling the criteria for participation in the Olympics. "I'm lost for words," he says after the race.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Matthias Iten surprises with a sensational 6th place in the Wengen slalom and thus fulfills the criteria for Olympic participation. "It's amazing," says Iten after the race.
- Loïc Meillard misses out on the podium despite a good starting position after the first run and is disappointed: "That was really bad."
- Ramon Zenhäusern clearly misses the 2nd run and is baffled and disappointed: "At first I thought the timing was wrong."
With the best run time, Matthias Iten jumps from 23rd to 6th place and thus fulfills the selection criteria for the Olympic Games. "Unbelievable," the 26-year-old marvels at his own performance after the race. "To show a run like that in Wengen in front of your home crowd is amazing."
He had already reckoned that he could make up a few places with a good second run and wanted to attack accordingly. "I wanted to risk everything. That worked out perfectly."
With 10th place in Val-d'Isère and now 6th place in Wengen, the man from central Switzerland has fulfilled the Olympic criteria. "To be honest, I'm a bit lost for words," says Iten. "A lot is possible in the slalom this year if you have a 2nd run. I'm just trying to show what I can do. It worked out today, it's incredible."
Meillard and Zenhäusern bitterly disappointed
Loïc Meillard's feelings are completely different. Despite a good fourth place, the Frenchman is anything but satisfied with his performance. After the first run, only Atle Lie McGrath was faster than him, and Meillard missed out on the podium in the second run with a few mistakes.
"Everything was missing in the 2nd run for a podium place. That was really bad," Meillard tells SRF. "I can't be happy with that at all. I wasn't in rhythm, not in the right lane. You can't get to the front like that." McGrath wins the race in the end ahead of Lucas Pinheiro Braathen and Henrik Kristoffersen. Meillard is half a second off the podium.
Ramon Zenhäusern, a strong 15th in Adelboden, also leaves Wengen disappointed. He clearly missed the 2nd run. "I don't know what to say. I was just really slow! At the finish I thought at first that the timing was wrong. Maybe I just wanted too much," says Zenhäusern. "The disappointment is huge. I didn't expect that."
