Haugan Wins Schladming Night Slalom
Timon Haugan (NOR/Van Deer) broke Austrian hearts to claim the biggest win of his career, triumphing in the Audi FIS World Cup Slalom in Schladming on Wednesday night.
It was a nice open-air evening for the classic night slalom in Schladming. By 5 p.m. the Austrians filled the stands to capacity ready to create an electric atmosphere on Wednesday night. The first run course set was straight but tough - many racers said the track felt rough on their skis. As the evening turned to night and the crowds became more rowdy - the second run course set was ready to inspect. The set was in one word: difficult.
The 45,000-plus fans packed into the Planai Stadium were so close to getting what they desperately wanted with local star Manuel Feller (AUT/Atomic) just two-tenths-of-a-second back.
Any anguish the crowd felt at such a near miss was soothed by Feller’s teammate Fabio Gstrein (AUT/Atomic) grabbing the very first World Cup podium of his career, as he ended third, 0.67 seconds behind.
Those two home snow successes sent the atmosphere stratospheric, but it was Haugan who got to climb to the top of the podium and experience just what it means to be victorious in this mecca of Slalom skiing.
“This is crazy. This is the best one so far. Schladming is just different,” said Haugan, who won in Alta Badia earlier this season and in Saalbach at the end of last season. “I would say this is the best one so far. Last year when I had my first it was different, I didn’t expect it. It’s different when you know you can win and then you actually do it. Then it feels even better somehow."
The race was another classic under lights. A year after finishing second behind Linus Strasser (GER/Rossignol), Haugan once again found himself trailing behind the German at the halfway stage.
The fact Feller, fourth quickest after run one, had put down arguably his best run of the season so far only increased the pressure on the Norwegian. But, just three days after crumbling on his bogey slope in Kitzbühel, Haugan dug deep and produced an accurate, aggressive second effort to snatch the lead.
Despite his coach having set the second run course, Strasser never looked comfortable. Leaking time all the way down, the German could only slide into fourth and watch on as the party started elsewhere.
“It’s hard to describe this feeling. The two days after Kitzbühel was tough but I just had to forget it and move on,” Haugan said. “Today I was really working with my head to only focus on the skiing and not be like, ‘Oh, I want to get revenge from Kitzbühel’. I just kept telling myself, ‘Keep moving forward, move to the outside ski’. Over and over again, really repeat that and don’t think about winning. Just think about the skiing.”
Feller knows better than most how hard it can be to get your mentality right. The reigning Slalom Crystal Globe champion has been open about the challenges he has faced during a season in which he has DNF’d four times and had a best finish coming into Schladming of fourth.
Add to this the fact no Austrian man had finished on a World Cup Slalom podium this season, and the mental demons were everywhere for the Atomic skier. But, on one of the biggest annual sporting nights in Austria – and with a home World Championships looming – the 32-year-old dug deep and found his best once more.
“There could be a better place in the ranking but all together I am super happy,” the beaming Austrian said in the finish area. “It was a tough fight, all over the season and of course the second run too. So, I am super proud of myself, about my second run today.
“I found my balance and found the way that I am risking a bit more. Super happy with the podium and that I can share it with my teammate Fabio, with his first podium ever.”
It has been quite a wait for Gstrein, but all 66 previous World Cup Slaloms melted out of memory when the 27-year-old realised he had finished third in Schladming.
“Really cool, first podium at home, Schladming,” Gstrein said, still shaking his head in wonder. “It’s really cool,” he added, before attempting to explain what had just happened, “I skied like I always do. Tried to do like in training, good skiing and don’t be stressful and I think it worked. Maybe (now), I don’t know, could be a little party.”
The party will continue right through until spring if the Austrians keep producing such performances come those World Championships.
But one man who will be keen to clear his head before hopping across the Austrian Alps is Strasser. Gunning for a third Schladming title, and a first win of the season, the German was not happy.
“It did not fit my style of skiing and the bad thing is my coach was the course setter,” Strasser said. “It was very hard to ski that turney part and the turney part went into an even more turney part. The speed was killed totally. My style of skiing is always (that) I want to play with the courses and the slope and there was no chance today for me.”
It was, as it so often has been this season, a different story for the Norwegians. Atle Lie McGrath (NOR/Head and Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR/Van Deer) grabbing yet more top-10 finishes, ending sixth and eighth respectively.
With four-time season winner Clement Noël (FRA/Dynastar) continuing his win-or-bust exploits by skiing out in run two, Kristoffersen's efforts catapulted him back to the top of the Slalom standings.
Things are wonderfully tight though, with the Norwegian just three points ahead of the Frenchman. While Haugan back in fifth place is just 113 points off his compatriot.
