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After the last slalom of this winter, Loïc Meillard doesn’t really know whether to be happy or angry. It is gratifying that the Valais with Neuchâtel roots is in the top four for the fifth time in a row. What is annoying, however, is that in fourth place he loses his third place in the discipline rankings. Namely the Norwegian Timon Haugan (27), who won his first World Cup victory in Saalbach.
Meillard also feels this financially. “I lose a significant bonus because some contracts include a bonus for a top three position in the discipline rankings,” the 27-year-old reveals. But he can look forward to a bonus for his ranking in the overall World Cup, where he takes second place, 909 points behind his excellent compatriot Marco Odermatt.
And because third-placed Austrian Manuel Feller will not start in the final speed competitions, the first Swiss double victory in the overall World Cup is a fact.
The last races have been shaky
In addition, there is a greater chance that no more World Cup races will take place this season. Because it is anything but certain that the final descent and the final Super-G will actually take place. Marco Odermatt said after the giant slalom on Saturday that it would have been impossible to hold speed races under these conditions. And if the weather forecasts for the coming days come true, the slopes will become even gentler.
The meteorologists predict a lot of rain for Monday and Tuesday, after which it will become even warmer in Salzburgerland. “We definitely need a clear night to save the downhill and super-G,” said Austrian speed coach Sepp Brunner. But according to the weather forecasts there will not be a clear night in Saalbach this week.
Odermatt and success coach parted ways
Anyway, the end of the season is near. And one thing is certain: the successful Marco Odermatt/Kurt Kothbauer team will definitely no longer exist in the future. The Austrian strength and conditioning guru, who turned the once slight Nidwalden native into an athlete of the century, is looking for a new challenge.
Head coach giant slalom Helmut Krug is not worried about that: “Kurti and Marco have worked together excellently over the past eight years. But after such a long time, it is not a bad thing for an athlete to receive new stimulus points. I have an idea who could replace the Kurti. But nothing is ready to be announced yet.”
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
