Loïc Meillard: Swiss skier wins first FIS World Cup

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Loïc Meillard

Technical maestro Loïc Meillard is one of the world's best in his chosen discipline and the first Swiss slalom skier to become world champion in 75 years.

After four FIS World Cup podiums, Loïc Meillard finally broke his duck with victory in the Chamonix parallel giant slalom.

Meillard had three seconds and one third in combined, giant slalom and slalom over the past two seasons and edged out Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen in his first Sunday duel.

The 23-year-old got past Canadian Erik Read and then Norwegian Aleksander Aamodt Kilde to make the last four where he advanced after German Alexander Schmid failed to finish.

Loïc Meillard of Switzerland seen at the giant slalom race at the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany on February 2, 2020. — Loïc Meillard
© Erich Spiess/ASP/Red Bull Content Pool

He faced compatriot Thomas Tumler in the final and kept his nerve to win by 0.25s for his maiden FIS World Cup win as Schmid defeated American Tommy Ford for third place.

Henrik Kristoffersen and Frenchman Alexis Pinturault were both knocked out in the last 16 with the Norwegian's FIS World Cup overall lead now 47 points.

Meillard's win moves him into the top 10 overall in ninth place and caps a remarkable Sunday for Switzerland after Corinne Suter won the women's Garmisch-Partenkirchen super-G.

The men's FIS World Cup circuit resumes next week at Austrian resort Saalbach-Hinterglemm with downhill and super-G.

FIS World Cup men's parallel giant slalom from Chamonix:

Loïc Meillard (Switzerland)
Thomas Tumler (Switzerland)
Alexander Schmid (Germany)
Tommy Ford (United States)
Žan Kranjec (Slovenia)
Thibaut Favrot (France)
Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (Norway)
Simon Maurberger (Italy)
Fabio Gstrein (Austria)
Henrik Kristoffersen (Norway)

FIS World Cup men's overall standings:

Henrik Kristoffersen (Norway) 903 points
Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (Norway) 856
Alexis Pinturault (France) 842
Matthias Mayer (Austria) 692
Beat Feuz (Switzerland) 617
Vincent Kriechmayr (Austria) 588
Dominik Paris (Italy) 556
Clément Noël (France) 550
Loïc Meillard (Switzerland) 514
Daniel Yule (Switzerland) 495

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Loïc Meillard

Technical maestro Loïc Meillard is one of the world's best in his chosen discipline and the first Swiss slalom skier to become world champion in 75 years.

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Loïc Meillard triumphs in parallel giant slalom for first FIS World Cup win

Loïc Meillard

Technical maestro Loïc Meillard is one of the world's best in his chosen discipline and the first Swiss slalom skier to become world champion in 75 years.

Loïc Meillard

Technical maestro Loïc Meillard is one of the world's best in his chosen discipline and the first Swiss slalom skier to become world champion in 75 years.

Henrik Kristoffersen

Henrik Kristoffersen is the most successful slalom skier Norway has ever produced, and his four crystal globes make that very clear.

Alexis Pinturault

Alexis Pinturault has become the dominant figure in alpine combined and is the most successful French skier in World Cup history.

Loïc Meillard

Technical maestro Loïc Meillard is one of the world's best in his chosen discipline and the first Swiss slalom skier to become world champion in 75 years.