Slalom in Wengen: Will the Swiss finally manage to win in Wengen?

10:20 a.m

Now it’s getting loud for the first time in Wengen. Loïc Meillard tries to master the course with its many transitions and waves. But he doesn’t get through optimally and shakes his head at the finish. He is 76 hundredths behind Haugan.

10:18 a.m

The Norwegian triumphed in Alta Badia. And now he sits down in front of Feller too. His lead is 11 hundredths.

10:17 am

Last season he won the small crystal ball for winning the discipline. This winter, however, the Austrian did not make it onto the podium. And now he’s also battling a cold, which is why he skipped the starting number draw yesterday.

Feller was eliminated in four of six races, but he made it to the finish line in the first race. His benchmark: 55.85.

10:14 am

The locals’ greatest hopes rest on Loïc Meillard. The Valais native with Neuchâtel roots has already been on the podium four times this winter. But last Sunday in Adelboden he was eliminated. Daniel Yule, meanwhile, has only made it into the top ten twice, while Marc Rochat recently achieved a breakthrough in 10th place in Adelboden. Things aren’t going well for Ramon Zenhäuser. The Valaisian has slipped out of the top 30 and will only compete in Wengen with start number 31.

10:06 am

Anyone who bets on Clément Noël will receive just 1.66 times the amount staked if the Frenchman wins. Noël has won three of six slaloms this winter, most recently last Sunday in Adelboden. However, the balance is greater than in any other discipline. Nine different athletes have already reached the podium this season.

The record winner in Wengen is Ivica Kostelic, who reached the top of the podium four times between 2002 and 2012. Henrik Kristoffersen could catch up with the Croatian with a triumph today.

10:02 am

The Lauberhorn is a magical mountain for downhill skiers. Odermatt won the last three downhill runs, and the last time no Swiss was on the podium was in 2016. Things are completely different in slalom. Since 1987 and Joël Gaspoz’s triumph, the locals in Wengen have never been able to succeed. After all: Daniel Yule and Loïc Meillard took second place in 2022 and 2023.

9:51 a.m

On Saturday the “Guggiföhn” caused concern for the organizers. It stormed over Wengen at speeds of up to 143 km/h, blowing away tents and driving a lot of fresh snow onto the slopes. But last night it remained quiet. Even the clouds are gradually disappearing, another glorious winter day is on the horizon in the Bernese Oberland.

9:46 a.m

Good morning from Wengen. It’s great that you’ll be watching the slalom with us. It is the day after the Lauberhorn descent, which attracted 40,000 people to Wengen and hundreds of thousands in front of the screen. The double victory of Marco Odermatt and Franjo von Allmen turned Wengen into a single festival mile. But now the traces of the night have been largely removed and the slalom can begin soon. The first run starts at 10:15 a.m.