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Daniel Yule makes history: GEPA photos
Daniel Juhl of Switzerland was the slowest skier to reach the finals on his first run. This made him the first skier to attack the final run. So he made World Cup history when he defended his lead over 29 challengers and won the Chamonix Slalom. It’s very special to be the first to do it. He pulled off a miracle on his second run, faster than anyone else (-0.64).
“It’s completely unbelievable,” Yule said. “I have to say I was really lucky to only be in 30th place on the first run, but then I had a great run on the second run. The wait here (in the leader’s chair) was long. But it was very nice.”
Yule qualified for the final in 30th place after making a serious mistake during the morning run. But when a skier as talented as he is first on his second run, we expect him to display speed that will move him way up the leaderboard. But a top 10 finish would be surprising and Yule would have welcomed it.
Yule said, “Even though I had already packed up my things and was ready to go back to the hotel, I had the opportunity to ski the second run.”
“I thought, ‘Okay, the weather is warm and the track is perfect.’ So I might be able to fight for top 10 or something, but I never dreamed of winning.”
Adventure to the top of Yule
The first racer who could threaten Yule was Britain’s Dave Ryding, who skied fourth. It was clear that the Swiss skier had achieved results when Riding, who had a huge advantage on the first run, skied well and crossed the line (+0.50) behind Juhl.
When he fended off the challenge of Germany’s Linus Strasser, who had won the last two slaloms, it became further clear that the Swiss star would be very difficult to beat. He maintained a (-0.41) lead after his first 15 racers finished the afternoon’s final test.
His lead remained even after the first 20 skaters finished.
The first racer to approach Djurle was Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway, who started with an advantage of almost 2 seconds, but took second place at the finish (+0.37). Austria’s Dominik Raschner, who was sixth in the first run, then tied Kristoffersen.
Last 5 people left in the race
The podium is usually taken by the five fastest riders from the first run. The first racer to take off was Switzerland’s Loïc Maillard, but he too was unable to take the lead. He crossed the finish line and took second place (+0.16), where he finished.
“It was a close race, but it was definitely a tough race for the leaders at the end,” Maillard said. “I just kept telling myself, ‘Keep moving, keep moving forward,’ and it worked.”
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Next up was Norway’s Arte Lee McGrath, who struggled mightily, finishing the slowest of all the competitors.
However, it was Austria’s Manuel Ferrer who took the lead in the slalom standings. He won three slalom events this season, but fell short at Yule. At this point, Juhl was assured of a podium place.
In any case, Ferrer has extended his lead as the leader in this season’s slalom rankings.
This left two people at the top of the course. Timon Haugan of Norway was the first to race, finishing in 7th place. After that, Juhl knew that he would not be any worse than second to him, and his teammate Maillard also knew that he could get his first slalom podium of the season.
The last skier to take off was his home country’s hero, Clement Noel. The crowd wanted him to win, but his run fell short and he finished the day in third place (+0.18). The French crowd was disappointed, but excited to witness a historic drama unfold, and so were the many Swiss fans in attendance.
“I think it was one of the best races of the season so far,” Noel said. “It was really difficult at the end and it was really, really bumpy. But I think I had a chance to win this race. It was pretty close, but it’s like this. It’s still a really good race for me, so I’m happy for this podium. You have to earn it.”
Other skiers improved their rankings by significantly double digits on their second run. That list included AJ Ginis (GRE) up 14, Riding (GBR) up 16, Alex Binatzer (ITA) up 11, and Samuel Colega (CRO) up 13.
North America
The only North American to qualify for the afternoon finals was Jett Seymour of the Stifel US Ski Team. He finished his first run 15th fastest and became the 16th skier to attack his second run. Last season, he achieved the best results of his career at Chamonix and is determined to excel again.
Unfortunately, Seymour struggled to find his first run speed and crossed the finish line with the 16th fastest time, slower than all previous skiers. However, he finished the day in 28th place (+1.02), earning him his first World Cup points of the season.
Comments from the day
Although the track surface slowed down on the second run, all 30 skiers finished, and two of the top five on the first run made it to the podium.
The next men’s World Cup will be the giant slalom and slalom in Bansko, Bulgaria on February 10th and 11th.
In a thrilling display of skill and determination, Yule secured the top spot on the podium and cemented his place in ski racing history. As the curtain falls on his slalom in Chamonix, his ski racing community celebrates Yule’s impressive victory and his fans eagerly anticipate the next chapter of alpine excellence in Bansko.
A joyful Yule said, “This might be hard to beat.”
chamonix slalom Results and analysis of the fastest three cars American Jet Seymour
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Analysis of the fastest 3 machines and American Jet Seymour
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