Haaser Wins Shock GS Gold
A week ago Raphael Haaser (AUT/Fischer) was not certain he would even be lining up for the Giant Slalom at Saalbach 2025. Now, after putting down two runs of the highest order, he is world champion. The Austrian, who grew up just a few hours from the famous Ulli Maier track, sent the capacity crowd – and thousands more lining the slopes – delirious as he pulled off the most sensational of shock victories.
With a Super G silver medal already in his back pocket, Haaser defied his own GS form, a host of world class challengers and arguably one of the discipline’s greatest ever skiers to triumph.
“I don’t know what to say, it’s just such an unbelievable day,” the man, who had never won a top-level race before, said. “I think I was capable to ski in the top-10 permanently but stepping on top of the podium, yeah, I didn’t expect that. I was really happy with my performance in the first run (fifth quickest) and could have been really happy to walk away with the fifth place today, but stepping on top of the podium is really amazing.”
Amazing is a good word for Thomas Tumler’s (SUI/Stöckli) season. The 35-year-old kicked things off with a first ever World Cup GS win in December and followed it up on Friday with the world championship performance of his career. Seventh quickest in run one, Tumler turned on the after-burners in the afternoon and, with four skiers left to go, he sat behind only Haaser. The pair, and 15,000-plus fans, then sat at the bottom and anxiously looked up the slope, as a quartet of superstars tried to deny the fairytale.
First, up stepped Alexander Steen Olsen (NOR/Rossignol). For a while the winner of the most recent World Cup GS race looked on course for the leader’s seat. But an error in the mid-section threw him off his rhythm and his attempts to claw back precious seconds on the final steep pitch saw him ski out with just a handful of gates to go.
That opened the way to Marco Odermatt (SUI/Stöckli). With a healthy advantage, all money was on the reigning Olympic, world and three-time World Cup champion grabbing yet another GS gong. But what he labelled a “big mistake” on the flat section drew audible gasps from the crowd, and even King Odi could not recover.
The Swiss men’s ski team had swept all three previous podiums in Saalbach and Loic Meillard (SUI/Rossignol) – a skier with an enviable record on this hill – had a 0.60 second advantage on Hasser as he attempted to make it four out of four. But he too was found out on the lower section of the long, demanding course and could only slip into bronze medal position.
All eyes turned to Timon Haugan (NOR/Van Deer). The Slalom specialist had produced his own Saalbach stunner in the morning run to post the fastest time by 0.02 seconds. But with all the pressure on his shoulders, the man without a GS podium finish all season, leaked time throughout his second effort as he faded to seventh.
Cue pandemonium and the beginning of a party that for champion Haaser and silver medallist Tumler may last well into next week.
“Never been on the podium in Giant Slalom and now a new world champion, and even more remarkable because, yes, we did have some discussion if he or Manu Feller (AUT/Atomic) should race (in the GS),” Christian Scherer, secretary general of the Austrian Ski Federation, said. “Last weekend we had the discussion.”
The eventual decision was made a little easier by Haaser’s silver medal in last weekend’s Super G. But the numbers made it a tricky call. In his 37 World Cup GS races before Saalbach 2025, Haaser had managed just five top-10s and had a best result this season of seventh in the opener in Sölden. The man himself will be forever grateful that the powers that be went with him.
“I kept my head down after the Super G, got some GS training in," Haaser said. "And yeah, really happy with today. Everyone is beatable." That is an attitude that has served Tumler extremely well this season. “The first World Cup win was for me a really big goal and now two medals, it’s just amazing,” said the skier who also picked up Team Parallel silver in Saalbach. “I tried to change a little bit the material this season and I think we made a really good job with Stöckli and my ski man and I am really happy how it worked.
“After run one, I was a little bit, not sad, but I thought I had to push the second run because I was six-tenths or seven-tenths (of a second) away from the podium, and here today just the medals are the goal, and that's why I took all my risk in the second run. Haaser made a really good job too. Us two on the podium, I think we are not the favorites before the race but World Champs, everything can happen.”
Teammate Meillard could only admire both men above him on the podium.
“He (Haaser) had a crazy second round for sure, and definitely earned that gold medal. He gave it his best, and he was better than us today,” Meillard said. “And Thomas he's had one hell of a season. He's always skiing well, so it's totally deserved I would say, and it was a long time due.”
There is still time yet though for Meillard to add to his and Switzerland’s impressive campaign. Especially considering his affection for the Saalbach piste.
“I like this hill”, said the skier who has already won a 2025 World Championship Team Combined gold and GS bronze in Saalbach, as well as claiming a World Cup win and three second places in the Austrian resort.
Odermatt will leave Saalbach having completed his World Championship title collection by taking gold in the Super G, but ending fourth in the GS, a discipline he has utterly dominated for seasons, hurt.
“Obviously, a little bit disappointed. I wanted a medal. I skied for champion title and yeah, it wasn't enough today,” Odermatt said. “I had a big mistake before the flat part, which I really felt, losing a lot of speed. From there on I tried to push, I thought it was not that bad, but I couldn't gain the speed again.”
The 2023 champion was happy to concede that Haaser – and all the noisy fans – “deserved it”.
But while the masses celebrated, spare a thought for Stefan Brennsteiner (AUT/Fischer), the only local finding it a little tough to smile.
"My hometown is 30 minutes away from here, and I was looking forward to this event for five years or something, and then I skied 10 seconds,” said Brennsteiner, whose ski popped its binding after the sixth gate. “Can happen. Shouldn’t happen.”
