Clément Noël wins the first slalom of the season in Finland

The Vosges native won in Levi on Sunday, ahead of the Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen and the Swiss Loïc Meillard.

A brilliant recovery. For the first slalom of the season, French Olympic champion in the specialty Clément Noël masterfully won the World Cup stage in Levi, Finland on Sunday, November 17. After achieving the best time in the first round (59''67), the 27-year-old from Vosges, who started with bib number 3, confirmed his good performance during the second, taking second place (54″31 ), to win (1'53''98).

Clément Noël, who wins his eleventh World Cup success – the first since January 2023 – ahead of the Norwegian, world champion in the specialty in 2023, Henrik Kristoffersen (+0″80) and the Swiss Loïc Meillard (+0″95). The other Frenchman qualified for the second round, Steven Amiez, finished in sixth position (+1”46).

“It was a big fight, I'm very happy with my second run. I produced a good ski while Henrik [Kristoffersen] set the bar very high [il a remporté la deuxième manche en 54″10]“, reacted, after his victory at the microphone of Eurosport, the French skier who says he “confident” at the end of its preparation. In Levi, Clément Noël is launching his season perfectly after a mixed year 2023-2024, without a victory but with four podiums.

The day was, however, more difficult for the former king of the stakes, Marcel Hirscher, who marked his return to the circuit, at the age of 35 and after five years of retirement. The Austrian skier, who now races in the Dutch jersey, finished in 46th place, +2.59 behind Clément Noël, and therefore attended the second round as an observer.