(REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger)
Timon Haugan clinched his first Alpine Ski World Cup win in the men's slalom season finale at Saalbach, Austria on Sunday (17 March).
After three second places, including one this season at Schladming, the Norwegian won by four-tenths of a second from home favourite Manuel Feller who produced an inspired second run to move up from fourth.
Linus Strasser rounded out the podium, having been second at halfway, with Saturday's giant slalom winner Loic Meillard in fourth.
AJ Ginnis of Greece was the big mover on the second run, posting the fastest time to move up from 22nd to ninth place.
Feller told FIS afterwards, “I can’t describe this in words. Just amazing. Especially in front of a crowd like that at home. I want to thank everyone who came here and who’s been cheering for me this season and over the years and all my fans in the bad times.
The 31-year-old wrote a message in the snow as he collected his crystal globe and, when asked about it, he fought back tears as he said, “We lost a friend one and a half years ago and I just wanted to share a moment with him.”
Feller looked like he might take the win as Haugan lost time in the middle of the course. At the final checkpoint, his lead over Feller was just two-hundredths of a second having been eight-tenths up from the first run.
But Haugan skiied the bottom as well as anyone to secure a win which saw him finish third in the slalom standings behind Feller and Strasser.