Meillard Claims Slalom Victory in Aspen, Capping Podium-Filled Weekend

Loic Meillard of Switzerland capped off a remarkable weekend in Aspen by claiming victory in the World Cup slalom, adding to his podium finishes in the giant slalom races.

After finishing second in consecutive giant slalom events, Meillard overcame a first-run deficit to triumph on Sunday with a combined time of 1 minute, 42.73 seconds. He edged out Linus Strasser of Germany by 0.89 seconds, while Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen secured third place.

France's Clement Noel, who led after the opening run, faltered on the challenging course in his final attempt and failed to finish. "A long weekend," Meillard remarked, "but very happy with how it went."

Manuel Feller of Austria climbed to fifth position in the final run, solidifying his substantial lead in the season-long World Cup slalom standings. He holds a 169-point advantage over Strasser heading into the final two races in the discipline.

Three Americans, including Jett Seymour in 25th place, qualified for the second run. Seymour finished four seconds behind Meillard's winning time.

This marked Meillard's third career World Cup victory and his first in slalom. "It took some time in slalom. I was always there but never quite in front," Meillard said. "It's amazing to do it and definitely in a tough race."

The Swiss team enjoyed a successful weekend, with Marco Odermatt winning both giant slalom races and holding off Meillard. Odermatt has already secured the season-long GS crown and a third consecutive overall World Cup title.

Meillard joins an illustrious group of skiers who have triumphed in the slalom in Aspen during a men's World Cup event, including Billy Kidd, Ingemar Stenmark, and Andre Myhrer.

Snowy conditions on Sunday presented a formidable challenge in the first run, with 25 competitors failing to complete the treacherous course and one being disqualified. Meillard was the only racer to finish within one second of Noel's opening run.

The men's World Cup circuit now moves to Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, for giant slalom and slalom events next weekend.

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