Daniel Yule snatches thrilling Kitzbühel World Cup slalom
The Swiss moved up from seventh to first to take victory from last year's winner Dave Ryding and Lucas Braathen.
Alpine Skiing
Switzerland's Daniel Yule denied Dave Ryding back-to-back wins in the Kitzbühel Alpine Ski World Cup slalom on Sunday (22 January).
Manuel Feller led after the first run but straddled a gate on the second to leave the home crowd in despair and Austrian-born Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger with his head in his hands.
Ryding - who secured Britain's first ever World Cup success 12 months ago - kissed the snow in the finish area after producing another power-packed second run.
The 36-year-old was only 16th after the first run but, just like last year on the Hahnenkamm, watched as one skier after another failed to beat his aggregate time.
Only his good friend Yule, seventh after the first run, was able to move ahead of him with the Swiss taking victory by four-tenths of a second.
It was Yule's second win of the season and his second win at Kitzbühel after his triumph in 2020.
Lucas Braathen took third place to return to the top of the World Cup slalom standings with Germany's Linus Strasser fourth.
Two-time Kitzbühel victor Henrik Kristoffersen was second quickest to Ryding on the second run as he moved up from 14th to fifth, but now trails Braathen by five points in the slalom series.
France's Olympic champion Clement Noel was fourth after the first run but slipped to eighth after making several errors on his second descent.
Results from men's World Cup slalom, Kitzbühel (top 10):
- Daniel Yule (SUI) 1:44.63
- Dave Ryding (GBR) +0.40
- Lucas Braathen (NOR) +0.41
- Linus Strasser (GER) +0.42
- Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR) +0.47
- Loic Meillard (SUI) +0.53
- Ramon Zenhaeusern (SUI) +0.58
- Clement Noel (FRA) +0.71
- Adrian Pertl (AUT) +0.72
- Fabio Gstrein (AUT) +1.13