Slalom in Val d'Isere

LIVE: Strolz also tears up the gap

Marco Schwarz showed up in Val d'Isere.(Bild: EPA/SEBASTIEN NOGIER)

- Austria's men's skiers are still without a podium place after the third slalom of the season. The best ÖSV skier on Sunday in Val d'Isere was Marco Schwarz, who finished eighth (+1.59 sec.). Norway's Timon Haugan celebrated his fifth World Cup victory. He came out on top ahead of giant slalom winner Loic Meillard from Switzerland (+0.28) and his compatriot Henrik Kristoffersen (+0.34). Fabio Gstrein, the most promising Austrian in sixth place at the halfway point, dropped back to 15th place.

He shared the ranking with his Tyrolean colleague Michael Matt (15th/+1.82). Johannes Strolz was relegated to 23rd place. Manuel Feller was eliminated in the first run. For the Austrian slalom athletes, the Olympic winter is shaping up like the previous season. Back then, the "podium curse" was only broken in the ninth race. Head coach Marko Pfeifer does not want to talk about a problem discipline. "Of course, the results haven't been there so far, but the athletes are up to it." In the case of Val d'Isere, he saw unfavorable starting numbers on a slope that was too soft for the ÖSV's taste.

Winner Timon Haugan(Bild: GEPA)

Shadows and a soft slope cause results to be overturned
Schwarz was one of the winners in half-time 24th place, even if he was still shaking his head after the finish. As it then became increasingly dark on the "Face de Bellevarde", the results list was completely overturned. Fourth-placed Alex Vinatzer made up 21 places, and the two Norwegians Oscar Sandvik (5th) and Hans Grahl-Madsen (6th) also managed a similar jump.

Marco Schwarz(Bild: GEPA)

"They simply can't"
Gstrein criticized the slope preparation in the first emotion as unfair. The organizers had refrained from using a lot of water. "They simply can't groom the slopes, we've known that for a long time." But he also skied badly, admitted the Ötztal native. "I think I'm a little overpowered at the moment."

Fabio Gstrein(Bild: GEPA)

  With Haugan, Meillard and Kristoffersen, three of the fastest skiers after the first run also ended up on the podium. Other top aces such as Olympic champion Clement Noel, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen and Atle Lie McGrath were eliminated in the decision. Manuel Feller had already left without a word. The Tyrolean made a mistake in the first run in the upper section and retired shortly before the finish line. After five races this season, Feller is still waiting for a top ten result. He missed out on qualifying for the second run in the giant slalom the day before.

Schwarz wants to "regain basic focus"
Schwarz spoke of a "conciliatory end" to a weekend in which he was unable to show his best skiing. "I want to feel what I felt in Sölden again," said Schwarz, who came second in the giant slalom back then. He announced training days to "find the basic focus again and then I'm looking forward to the races before Christmas". He is skipping the downhill training in Val Gardena/Gröden. "I want to focus on training, maybe try something with the equipment and then tackle the super-G."

The result:

For the Austrian slalom athletes, the Olympic winter is shaping up like the previous season. Back then, the "podium curse" was only broken in the ninth race.