Alpinist Timon Haugan led for the first time in his career after a first lap in the slalom race in Saalbach on Sunday.
In other words, it was a very unusual situation for the 27-year-old when he raced for victory as the system man.
Before Haugan set off, the home favorite Manuel Feller had delivered a solid race and led the race. However, the Norwegian did not let himself be swayed by the pole and let himself loose well on the course and took the victory. His very first in a World Cup context.
– Feels completely insane
It triggered wild scenes of jubilation down on the plain and tears rolled down from several of the Norwegian boys as they cheered.
– It means absolutely enormous. Everyone who drives here today works just as hard as I do. Standing here, no, it feels completely insane, says Haugan to NRK after the race.
– I have thought a lot about this victory, when will it come? I have thought a lot about the men’s team not having a win this season, I have felt a little extra pressure, and that it was perhaps my task to pull it off in the last race, says the 27-year-old.
Haugan’s victory is the Norwegian boys’ first World Cup victory this season. This means that Norway’s streak of World Cup wins every single season since 1987/88 was saved in the last race of the season.
Paying tribute to the Kristoffersen behavior
Teammate Henrik Kristoffersen is often described as a “lone wolf” in the Norwegian national team and works a lot for himself, but the 29-year-old was clearly happy for Haugan when he spoke to NRK. In the studio, they believe this shows a change in the Rælingen runner.
– I am very happy for Timon. It was overtime with that one, so I’m super happy for Timon. He drove very well in the first half, and saw from the start that he stepped on the gas in the second half. It’s the first time you lead and then you win, it’s pretty good, says Kristoffersen to NRK.
Kristoffersen gave his teammate a good hug down on the field, but did not want to reveal what was said.
– It can be between us, but something to the effect that it was well deserved and very well done, he says.
National team alpinist Maria Tviberg sat in NRK’s winter studio and noticed in the interview that Kristoffersen did.
– Yes, he makes a great profile when he is like that to Timon and I know that he treats Timon extra well. They ride the same brand of skis and Henrik probably spars a little more closely with him than he might do with the other guys, says Tviberg.
– Great, very nice interview, she continues.
Kristoffersen was number seven
Haugan was in the lead after the first lap in Saalbach. The man from Oppdal led by 15 hundredths of a second on the German Linus Strasser, while it was 50/100 to Loïc Meillard from Switzerland in third place before the final round.
Haugan had three second places as individual top results in the World Cup, all in slalom, before Sunday’s race.
Henrik Kristoffersen also delivered a solid second lap and took a provisional lead, but the Swiss Marc Rochat came right after the Norwegian and drove marginally better. This means that Kristoffersen ends the season without a World Cup win.
It is the first time in the last ten seasons that the Rälingen driver has gone an entire season without winning a race.
Moved up eleven places
The conditions and the course proved difficult in the final round. AJ Ginnis, the American driving for Greece, started second in the second half and his time was too strong for both the one and the other that followed him.
When more than half of those who started the final round had driven, it was still Ginnis who reigned supreme.
Atle Lie McGrath, who was number 11 after the first lap, drove among other things in the battle to take Guinness’s best time.
Only when the Italian Alex Vinatzer arrived did the lead slip to the Greek. Ginnis thus moved up a full eleven places on the results list.
Alexander Steen Olsen, who also started early in the second round, moved up a solid nine places in the final round.