Loïc Meillard wins the giant slalom at the season finale in Saalbach. Thomas Tumler crowned his World Cup winter with third place. Marco Odermatt was eliminated as leader after the first run.
Loïc Meillard (pictured) is the winner of the giant slalom in Saalbach after Marco Odermatt was eliminated.
Gian Ehrenzeller / EPA
(sda) Loïc Meillard won the giant slalom at the final in Saalbach. He secured his second World Cup victory in this discipline. Thomas Tumler came third behind Andorran Joan Verdu. Marco Odermatt, who was leading after the first run, was eliminated, which brought a long series to an end.
In the giant slalom two weeks ago in Aspen, Colorado, Odermatt and Meillard took 1st and 2nd place both times. In Saalbach, too, the same scenario seemed predetermined after the first round. The Nidwalden Odermatt led the interim rankings with a lead of four tenths over the Romand.
Meillard achieved his second World Cup victory in a giant slalom after the one in Schladming in January last year, his fourth overall. Thomas Tumler, who started in the top group with the best seven for the first time, ended his best season at the age of 34 with a highlight that had become apparent in the past few weeks.
Third place behind Andorran Joan Verdu was Tumler’s second place in the top three in a World Cup giant slalom, the third at this level at all. Over five years ago in Beaver Creek, Colorado, he also came out of nowhere to third place with starting number 48. With 6th place, Gino Caviezel secured his second best result this winter after 5th place in the giant slalom in Palisades Tahoe.
For Odermatt, two series came to an end with the elimination. The central Swiss missed out on winning the tenth giant slalom of this World Cup winter and achieving his 13th victory in a row. It was also the first time after 26 World Cup giant slaloms that Odermatt remained without a podium finish.