Alpine Skiingmen's world cup
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The Swiss, 2nd in Garmisch and the fourth top 3 of his career, has never been so close to his first success. The Norwegian veteran is experiencing the best season ever in giant size.
Monday 3 February 2020 4 minutes reading time
The story is full of athletes who have climbed several times on a World Cup podium without winning throughout their career, and the numbers of Loic Meillard and Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen are still very low in this regard.
Yesterday, however, in the giant of Garmisch-Partenkirchen both got on the podium: the Swiss in second position, for the fourth top 3 ever in the maximum circuit, the Norwegian behind him and for the third time at the awards ceremony (always between wide doors).
Two very different stories, because Meillard is expected from Switzerland as a talent that has yet to express maximum potential: of course, we are talking about a 23 year old, but this season the good Loic has suffered enough between giant and slalom, after having caught last year in Saalbach-Hinterglemm the first two podiums of his adventure in CdM, two second places within 24 hours and in the two technical disciplines (behind Kranjec in giant, beaten by Hirscher in slalom).
A 3rd place in combined arrived in Bormio, then here is Garmisch's paw with the place of honor behind Pinturault, for only 16 cents and after having stroked the first success with the best time in the opening round: "Of course, I started to win and I also did a good heat, but it was not enough - said the Swiss - It is an excellent result for me, I lacked a performance of this level in giant, at least on the two heats ".
Just in giant, however, at 32 years of age he is experiencing the best year of his career Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen: the Norwegian veteran had also risen on the podium in Beaver Creek, almost 3 years after that 2nd place in Kranjska Gora 2017 (in a giant a little crazy with the 2nd race running in the fog). Yesterday another third place, for the trio of podiums in giant and the first subgroup starting again regained. “I knew I could do well with certain conditions, but in reality this year I am almost always competitive - his words - The first victory? It would be nice, but it is already quite difficult to get on this podium ... ".
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