Timon Haugan Wins World Cup Slalom

Timon Haugan achieved a resounding victory in the men's World Cup slalom held in Val d'Isère (France), posting a total time of 1:37.89. The Norwegian thus thwarted the aspirations of Loïc Meillard, who, after winning Saturday's giant slalom, aimed to complete a perfect weekend with another triumph.

Haugan, who entered the second run from the provisional second position, delivered a run marked by precision and control, despite having suffered back discomfort during the morning. He admitted that the day was particularly demanding, especially in the moments leading up to the first run, but stated he felt completely satisfied after crossing the finish line and confirming the victory. The skier emphasized that the key to the triumph was staying true to his race plan, managing pressure, and avoiding significant errors on a course that allowed no room for mistakes.

For his part, Switzerland's Loïc Meillard, the reigning world champion and author of the best time in the first run, finished 0.28 seconds behind the winner and had to settle for second place. The podium was completed by another Norwegian, Henrik Kristoffersen, third at 0.34 seconds off the best time.

The Val d'Isère slalom concluded with an outstanding performance by Norwegian Timon Haugan, who delivered a solid and precise run to stop the clock at 1:37.89, a time that secured his victory.

The fight for the podium was extremely close. Switzerland's Loïc Meillard was just 28 hundredths behind, confirming his consistency in technical events, while fellow Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen completed the podium at 34 hundredths, in a race marked by minimal differences between the top specialists.

Outside the podium positions, Italy's Alex Vinatzer finished fourth, 1.10 seconds behind the winner, followed by young Norwegian Oscar Andreas Sandvik, who crossed the finish line at 1.24. The strong Norwegian presence continued with Hans Grahl-Madsen, sixth at 1.31.

Italy's Tommaso Sala took seventh place, yielding 1.38 seconds, while Austria's Marco Schwarz closed the top eight with a delay of 1.59, in a final classification that reflected both the parity at the top and the high competitive level of men's slalom.

The race was held on the demanding La Face de Bellevarde course, with variable snow conditions and a context that penalized any minor error by the skiers. Haugan had already shown remarkable consistency throughout the season, but this triumph marks a turning point after his physical issues and places him at the top of the slalom standings.