Featured Picture: World Cup Finals slalom podium. Credit score: GEPA
Manuel Feller of Austria got here into the slalom race as we speak already celebrating his victory of the 2024 World Cup slalom title and a lights-out season. It’s the first time that Feller has clinched a Crystal Globe.
He said, “I can’t describe this in phrases. It’s simply wonderful, particularly in entrance of a crowd like that at dwelling. You possibly can’t write a ebook higher than that. I need to thank all people who got here right here, who cheered for me over the season and the years.”
He continued, “I need to give a particular because of all of the followers who have been cheering for me within the unhealthy instances.”
This season was the primary time the 31-year-old had received a slalom race since 2021, and he impressively dominated in 4 of the races.
Moreover, he emerged as probably the most profitable male slalom skier of the previous 5 years throughout this season. Undoubtedly, a big milestone in his skilled journey.
He wrote within the snow when he raised the Crystal Globe above his head. He defined, “Me and my mates misplaced a good friend one and half years in the past, and I simply needed to share extra of that second with him.”
Though he had secured the highest, he continued to lift the bar as we speak. The Austrian crowd roared when he got here throughout the end of the ultimate slalom run -0.52 forward of the sphere.
The end space was bellowing with emotional pleasure by the final 4 athletes. Each passionate Austrian fan was on the sting of their seat as Feller surpassed Linus Strasser of Germany and Swiss racer Loic Meillard’s instances.
However, the nail-biting continued when the winner of the primary run, Timon Haugan, was sending it down the course. Giving it the whole lot to attain his first World Cup victory. The Norwegian was slower on the highest sections of the course however maintained the quickest general time. He bobbled earlier than the pitch however did precisely what he wanted to do by the essential sections and reigned victorious on the ultimate slalom race of 2024.
The feelings have been intense because the race concluded and the highest 3 athletes got here into the end enviornment to face proudly on the rostrum. The final slalom race completed with Timon Haugan in first, Manuel Feller in 2nd, and Linus Strasser in third place.
Overcoming the Circumstances
Right now, the temperatures continued to warmth the observe, and the spring-like snow introduced pleasure to the Saalbach ultimate World Cup slalom.
Coming into the second run, there was a three-second hole between the quickest racer, Timon Haugan, and fifteenth place. The athletes additionally had their work reduce out with a difficult course of tight transitions and a number of other rhythm adjustments.
Nevertheless, the racers who took benefit of the sooner begin instances within the second run and skied strategically have been in a position to make up some floor on the highest athletes from the primary run.
A spotlight was AJ Ginnis of Greece, a former Stifel US Ski Crew athlete, who began second on the second run and took benefit of his early begin time. His run was slightly wild as he was getting bucked round by the pitch. Nevertheless, he took probabilities, and it ended up paying off. He managed the quickest second run time, which moved him up 13 locations, attaining ninth place, marking his career-best outcome.
Ginnis sat within the chief’s chair till Alex Vinatzer from Italy got here by -0.12 forward. Vinatzer moved from bib-20 to conclude the day in eighth place, incomes his third top-10 slalom end of 2024.
The younger Alexander Steen Olsen achieved eleventh place and was emotional when his teammate, Timon Haugan, received for the primary time. The Norwegian group displayed tight comradery and wonderful sportsmanship, which is what makes these ultimate races unbelievable.
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