World champ Loic Meillard leads the opening run of first World Cup slalom since the worlds

By Canadian Press on March 2, 2025.

KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia (AP) — World champion Loic Meillard posted the fastest opening-run time Sunday in the first World Cup slalom since the Alpine skiing worlds.

The Swiss skier was 0.05 seconds faster than Timon Haugan of Norway.

Tanguy Nef and Atle Lie McGrath were the only other skiers who finished within three-tenths of Meillard’s time as Switzerland and Norway occupied the top four positions.

Meillard racked up four podium results in slalom this season. His sole career World Cup victory in the discipline came a year ago in Aspen, Colorado.

Olympic champion Clement Noel was 0.40 behind in fifth.

The Frenchman won four races this season but trails leader Henrik Kristoffersen by three points in the discipline standings.

Kristoffersen, who won Saturday’s giant slalom, was sixth with the Norwegian having 0.62 seconds to make up in the second run later Sunday.

Kristoffersen shared his position with Manuel Feller, the defending World Cup slalom champion of Austria.

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen straddled a gate and didn’t finish, a day after he placed second in the GS and came close to giving Brazil its first World Cup victory in skiing.

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AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

The Associated Press

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