In the first heat the Austrian is the fastest, then great balance with the first 17 in less than a second: 6th and ninth place for the Azzurri. Gross 17th
Surprises, balance and the Azzurri competing for a medal. The first run of the slalom that closes the Courchevel/Meribel World Championships offers emotions: the Austrian Manuel Feller is in the lead (46”93), then 16 athletes in less than a second. And among these there are two Italians: sixth Alex Vinatzer (at 44/100) and ninth (at 71/100) Tommaso Sala, in full race for a medal that has been missing in Italy for 12 years, since Manfred Moelgg was silver in slalom at the World Championships in Garmisch.
Surprises
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Ready, go and the number 1 Loic Meillard, among the favorites and already with a medal in giant, comes out after two doors. The temperatures are more than mild (1 degree at an altitude of 1800), the track is icy and puts several athletes in difficulty: Noel saves himself by a miracle but is seventh (at 64/100), Kristoffersen struggles and closes furiously at 91/100.
Behind Feller, two years dry in slalom, there are Braathen and Ginnis (at 13/100) and Strasser (at 14/100). Then Foss Solevaag (at 35/100) ahead of Vinatzer, Gstrein is seventh (at 56/100).
The blues
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Tommaso Sala was regular and after a controlled start he was good at recovering in the final stages after a mistake. “I’m happy, I put in a good performance. An error in the third sector compromised my top positions a bit, but we’re all there for the second heat”. Vinatzer got off to a great start, he brushed on the wall and didn’t get lost in the back doors as had happened to him in the past. “A good heat, with some pieces I still had a margin. We are all very close, everyone will attack. Everything is played in the second”. Stefano Gross is 17th, also with less than a second (at 96/100). Also qualified for the second heat is the fourth blue, Tobias Kastlunger: he is 27th at 1”65.
At 13.30 the second heat.
February 19, 2023 (change February 19, 2023 | 12:15)
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