Loïc Meillard is finding his feet in the Olympic season after a delay. The Frenchman made an impressive comeback in Val d'Isère with victory in the giant slalom and second place in the slalom.
15.12.2025, 10:13
15.12.2025, 13:25
SDA
Last March, Meillard ended the giant slalom season with a victory at the World Cup final in Sun Valley, Idaho, with a clear lead over Marco Odermatt - and once again confirmed his recent progress. It was the final phase of a winter in which he became slalom world champion, in which he was always ranked in the top five in the ten races in the pole forest in which he finished and in which he took third place in the overall World Cup rankings behind Odermatt and Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen.
Solutions found
Before the journey to Val d'Isère, not too much had gone right for Meillard. The low result was probably also due to the back problems that continue to bother the man from Neuchâtel, who has lived in Valais for many years. Ninth place, achieved in the giant slalom in Beaver Creek, Colorado, was his best result in Savoy.
Meillard did not let this get him down. On the contrary, he was determined to put the botched first phase of the season behind him and put it behind him. "I've covered a lot of kilometers in the slalom and giant slalom at home. At the moment, it's not the skiing I had hoped for. But that's the sport," he said last Friday. Meillard's main focus was on finding solutions. "The races in Beaver Creek were already a step in the right direction. But I want to get back on the podium. I skied really well in some sections. Now we will try to build on that."
No sooner said than done. Two days later, the world was a different one for Meillard. He was back on the road to success. In the giant slalom on Saturday, he already showed improvement in the first run. But it was to get even better, much better. From intermediate 5th place, he made his way to the top of the rankings. In the end, it was a Swiss triple success, made perfect by Luca Aerni with his first podium finish in this discipline and Odermatt.
For Meillard himself, the day was more than just another demonstration of the team's power. For him, it was a turning point. He was naturally delighted with the victory, but also remained realistic in the hour of success. "The first podium of the winter always feels good. But I know that I still have to work on myself on certain runs."
The attempt at an explanation
The next day, Meillard also impressed in the slalom. Thanks to his victory in the giant slalom and second place in the slalom, he left Val d'Isère with 180 World Cup points more, having previously been on just 78 points.
Julien Vuignier tried to explain Meillard's improvement. "Loïc completed long training days and raced countless runs before Val d'Isère. That did him good, as did the time at home." For the coach, there is no question that his protégé made his breakthrough this weekend. "We know that victories and top places have a liberating effect on body and mind. Suddenly the technique is right again - and the rider is unstoppable."
Vuignier believes that the reason for his lack of top form for the time being is that his pre-season preparation did not go as planned. "Loïc perhaps had ten good training days at best. He wasn't able to increase his workload or intensity during the preparation. So a little patience was required." Now that he is free of this pressure, Meillard is ready to take the momentum with him. "Next weekend I have to find that feeling again in Alta Badia."
On the Gran Risa, the giant slalom classic is on the program on Sunday and a slalom on Monday. Two more opportunities for Meillard to finally put his misery in the first races behind him.
