Loïc Meillard is unstoppable in Hafjell. The 28-year-old wins both races of the weekend and makes a declaration of intent in the slalom one race before the end.
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- Loïc Meillard is the measure of all things in the technical races in Hafjell. He succeeds in both the giant slalom and the slalom.
- "It's a dream for every technical skier to win both races," says the French-Swiss skier.
- In the top 10 alongside Tanguy Nef is Ramon Zenhäusern. The man from Valais achieves his best result of the season.
The races in Hafjell are in the hands of Loïc Meillard. The French-Swiss racer wins the giant slalom on Saturday, followed by victory in the slalom on Sunday. In both races, he defended his lead from the halfway point to the finish line. "It's a dream come true for any technical skier to win both races," said the now six-time World Cup winner in the winner's interview on "SRF".
Meillard turns around the slalom poles on the Norwegian slope with conviction. In the second run, he makes a mistake that causes him to ponder for a while. The thought in his head: "Uff, that's going to cost a lot of time." But Meillard skillfully saves himself and is back in the middle of his skis in a flash.
How does Meillard explain his recipe for not letting big mistakes become so big after all? With experience. "27 years on skis - that helps," he says and laughs. He was aware that he had to work forwards. That helps him to remain stable and centered on the ski.
The slalom world champion is in top form. "It's going well," says the veteran. He has complete confidence in his equipment. "I can play with the skis and do what I want. That helps me to relax and focus on the important things."
Pinheiro Braathen: "If you had told me that as a 12-year-old ..."
And the focus of a caliber like Meillard is on winning. This is also the case for Lucas Pinheiro Braathen. "It was my plan to win here," he says on "SRF". In the end, however, it didn't work out with the triumph. "The last section today ... that's not possible. Loïc and Atle (Lie McGrath, editor's note) had more discipline today."
Despite missing out on victory, he is in a positive mood anyway. The Brazilian-Norwegian dual citizen skied to third place on the slope on which he laid the foundations for his professional career. "If you had told me when I was 12 years old that one day I would be standing on the podium in Hafjell together with Atle ... it's unbelievable."
The bullet fight is coming to a head
The World Cup season is drawing to a close. The slalom bullet fight is still in full swing with one race to go. With the 100 points, Meillard comes within 47 points of leader Henrik Kristoffersen in the discipline rankings.
In Sun Valley, Meillard wants to attack again on American soil. There is no sign of fatigue after the long season. "I'm still fresh in my head, physically I'm fine. It's important to recover between races. I've done well so far."
The men's World Cup final starts on March 22 with the speed races. The final race is the slalom on March 27.
Zenhäusern sits on the leader's throne for a long time
While Meillard and Co. are looking towards North America, the season is over for Ramon Zenhäuser. Although the Valais native achieved his best result in two years with tenth place, he did not make it into the top 25 in the discipline rankings.
Nevertheless, the man from Valais speaks of a "nice finish". In Hafjell, he makes up 16 places in the second run and sits on the leader's throne for a few moments. "I've almost forgotten how to sit on the leader's chair," says Zenhäusern on "SRF", who won his last slalom victory to date at the 2023 World Cup final in Soldeu.
