Dave Ryding wins today's slalom in Kitzbühel. Starting with bib 15 and after being sixth in the first run he put down an amazing second run under heavy snowfall in a challenging setting course to climb up to the first position. The 35-year-old prevailed in a dramatic final on the Ganslernhang racecourse 0.38 seconds ahead of Wengen winner Lucas Braathen. Henrik Kristoffersen took third place, 0.65 seconds behind. It's his 3rd podium in Slalom (he was 2nd in Kitzbühel in 2017, and 3rd in Adelboden in 2021), 4th in total including a second place in the City Event in Oslo in 2019.
Ryding becomes the first British Skier to Win a World Cup Race.
"There’s life in the old dog yet (...) You know, I'm 35 now, but I never stopped believing, I never stopped trying, and to bring the first victory for Great Britain in a World Cup, in Kitzbuhel, I mean, I don't know if dreams are made better", Ryding said.
"My name is now part of alpine skiing history. I think I'm everyone's second favorite skier. Everyone knows where I come from, everyone knows my story. I had so much emotion when I finished. It means the world just to hear some Brits and people cheering. I don't have a home race but there are always some Brits in the Alps because we love skiing", he added.
Lucas Braathen achieved today his second Slalom Podium after winning the Slalom last week in Wengen. He is now leading the Slalom standings with 235 points, 55 points ahead of Sebastian Foss Solevåg, 73 of Daniel Yule, and 75 of today's winner Dave Ryding.
Kristoffersen rounded out the podium in third place. After finishing the first run in 24th place he set the best time in the second one to climb up 21 positions. It's his 43rd podium in Slalom and his 67th in the World Cup. His last podium in the discipline was on January 31, 2021.
This season there have been five different winners in five races and the 15 podium places have been divided by 13 different athletes (only multiple podiums by Kristoffer Jakobsen and Lucas Braathen).
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