2025 Ski World Championships, Haaser surprisingly wins the giant. Italians far away

Saalbach, 14 February 2025 - Austria emerges from the duelling Switzerland and Norway in the men's giant slalom world championship in Saalbach. Triumph for Raphael Haas - in a world championship that saw the serious injury of her sister Ricarda - with a high bib, 22, never happened before, and beating all the best, including that Marco Odermatt remained outside the podium. Haaser laid the foundations for success in the first heat, then made it happen in the second by also taking advantage of the mistakes of others with Tumbler e Meillard to save Switzerland. Italy off the podium with De Aliprandini nono.

Odermatt disappoints, De Aliprandini tries

In the first heat, the big names were very cautious: no one wanted to make mistakes so as not to jeopardise the entire race, so the gaps remained small. Marco did not shine Odermatt, only third at 24 hundredths from the leader Timon The pile, also behind his compatriot Loic Meillard (second at 2 hundredths). It was reasonable to expect a duel between Norway and Switzerland and that is what happened considering Alexander's fourth position. Steen Olsen at 45 cents, ahead of the Austrian Raphael Haaser, excellent fifth with the bib 22 at 62 hundredths. Italy kept in the running for the podium with the usual Luca De Aliprandini, who finished sixth at 63 cents, paying 37 in the second sector alone. The third Swiss, Thomas, also remained in the fight Tumbler, tied with the Italian and just ahead of Schwarz. Henrik was disappointed with the first heat Kristoffersen, only ninth at 88 hundredths. The other Italians are behind with Della Vite twenty-eighth, Franzoni twenty-fourth and Vinatzer twenty-first. In the second round, the Italians do not win joy after Brignone's gold. De Aliprandini he attacks, he takes risks, but he doesn't find the right speed on a track that isn't suited to him and in the end he's only ninth at 1"03. In the fight for the medals, who wins? Austria. The credit goes to Raphael Haaser who comes back from fifth position with a crazy run and sends the home crowd into raptures for the first Austrian victory of the season in 2'39”71 with 23 hundredths of an advantage over Thomas Tumbler, the best Swiss, and 51 on Loic Meillard, which he wastes in the last two intermediates after having accumulated 89 hundredths of advantage over Haaser. Marco disappoints Odermatt, fourth and off the podium with 58 hundredths of delay and author of a race below par in terms of pace, speed and feeling. Marco fifth Black at 78 cents, then the French Favrot and Timon The pile, shipwrecked in the second due to a serious error after a few gates. It is the Norwegian defeat also considering the exit of Steen Olsen a few doors from the finish line and the eighth place of the other disappointed Henrik Kristoffersen. The other blues are far away, Franzoni finishes twentieth ahead of Vinatzer and Of The Vine is twenty-fourth. Saturday is the time for the women's slalom.

Saalbach giant ranking

1 Haaser 2'39”71 2 Tumler +0.23 3 Meillard +0.51 4 Odermatt +0.58 5 Schwarz +0.78 6 Favrot +0.83 7 Haugan +1.00 8 Kristoffersen +1.02 9 De Aliprandini +1.03 10 McGrath +1.22