Clement Noel Takes Gold for France in WJC Men’s Slalom

By Published On: February 7th, 2018Comments Off on Clement Noel Takes Gold for France in WJC Men’s Slalom

On Wednesday, slalom served as the closing men’s event of the 2018 World Junior Championships in Davos, Switzerland. Frenchman and breakout World Cup youngster Clement Noel took the win by a massive 2.77 seconds in front of Italy’s Alex Vinatzer in seconds and 3.18 seconds clear of Joachim Jagge Lindstoel of Norway in third.

The winner of the first five races in Davos, Marco Odermatt of Switzerland, did not race the slalom.

Noel has proved he has the right stuff to compete at the World Cup level, twice finishing inside the top 10 in Schladming and Kitzbuehel where he finished sixth and eighth, respectively.

“Winning here in Davos is a big achievement for me,” Noel said. “It was a tough race with many athletes dropping out and I think my experience from World Cup level has helped me a lot to ski so well. I am really happy with this gold medal.”

The young men had a challenging day despite Wednesday’s great weather. The snow and the course setting got many athletes into trouble as the race track was injected with water but conditions did not turn out consistent throughout the whole track. Some sections had grippy snow where others had slick ice. At some gates the track even broke through and rutted up.

The course set proved to be the deciding factor on the day as the distances between gates was 10-11 meters, which is quite standard but courses swung considerably across the hill on the steep sections, which is not seen that often at the FIS level according to U.S Development Team coach Justin Jonson.

In the first run, 75 skiers did not see the finish.

Nevertheless, Jonson was satisfied with the performance of the men team in Davos. Two Americans, River Radamus and Jett Seymour, ended up ninth and 10th, respectively, and George Steffey placed 23rd. Luke Winters, Kyle Negomir, and Jimmy Krupka skied out in the second run.

“We have been able to start competitive racers for each discipline and have been ranked each day in the top ten,” Johnson explained. “About two years ago that was not the case.”

Jonson sees that the past work as payed off, but stopping right now is not an option.

“The program needs to continue and improve to produce World Junior medals,” he added. “And for the athletes who are about to leave us for the next level, NorAm or later World Cup, the process needs to go on. We need to go back to the basics, work on the fundamentals of skiing and being able to repeat them for about 50 turns in a row. Additionally, we need to train the skills of adjusting to steep hills, rolls, flat hills, soft and hard snow or ice, and really any course set possible.”

The German men’s team seems to be in a similar position as the Americans.

“In some disciplines we are able to compete,” said Andreas Ertl, former World Cup skier and now head coach of the development teams in Germany. “For men’s speed events we hope to have young skiers ready for top results at the World Junior Championships in maybe two years.”

In the end, it is important to not lose sight of the fact that World Juniors are simply a measurement of how each country is developing their junior athletes that hope to some day make it to the World Cup.

Switzerland still holds first place in the medal standings with 10 to Austria’s eight. The race for the prestigious Marc Hodler Trophy, on the other hand, is still wide open with Switzerland leading Austria by a mere seven points. The women’s downhill will take place on Thursday, Feb. 8, and will determine the winner of the team standings.


Official Results

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time Diff. FIS Points
 1  6  6190403 NOEL Clement 1997 FRA  52.02  53.29  1:45.31  6.00
 2  12  6293171 VINATZER Alex 1999 ITA  54.30  53.78  1:48.08  +2.77  24.94
 3  3  422546 LINDSTOEL Joachim Jagge 1997 NOR  54.35  54.14  1:48.49  +3.18  27.74
 4  16  54444 GSTREIN Fabio 1997 AUT  54.23  54.40  1:48.63  +3.32  28.70
 5  13  512274 BISSIG Semyel 1998 SUI  54.15  54.77  1:48.92  +3.61  30.68
 6  33  422729 BRAATHEN Lucas 2000 NOR  55.25  54.18  1:49.43  +4.12  34.17
 7  22  202908 HIMMELSBACH Fabian 1999 GER  54.55  55.03  1:49.58  +4.27  35.19
 8  30  6190467 PIOLAINE Simon 1997 FRA  55.55  54.04  1:49.59  +4.28  35.26
 9  9  6532084 RADAMUS River 1998 USA  55.38  55.05  1:50.43  +5.12  41.01
 10  4  6532163 SEYMOUR Jett 1998 USA  55.12  55.48  1:50.60  +5.29  42.17
 11  29  380377 KOLEGA Samuel 1999 CRO  56.04  54.90  1:50.94  +5.63  44.49
 12  42  512303 BOISSET Arnaud 1998 SUI  56.18  54.94  1:51.12  +5.81  45.72
 13  71  512273 SPARR Maurus 1998 SUI  55.80  55.38  1:51.18  +5.87  46.13
 14  55  202873 PFOEDERL Nikolaus 1998 GER  56.58  54.91  1:51.49  +6.18  48.25
 15  28  104488 FOURNIER Simon 1997 CAN  55.72  55.84  1:51.56  +6.25  48.73
 16  44  6292404 BLENGINI Alberto 1997 ITA  56.53  55.30  1:51.83  +6.52  50.58
 17  47  561369 RUPNIK Matevz 1997 SLO  57.29  55.06  1:52.35  +7.04  54.13
 18  61  92721 TODOROV Yoan 1997 BUL  57.06  55.59  1:52.65  +7.34  56.18
 19  27  104529 MULLIGAN Sam 1997 CAN  56.52  56.28  1:52.80  +7.49  57.21
 20  78  6301077 AIHARA Shiro 2001 JPN  57.98  55.37  1:53.35  +8.04  60.97
 21  34  481897 ALEKHIN Nikita 1998 RUS  58.35  55.44  1:53.79  +8.48  63.98
 22  81  230728 TZIOVAS Nikolaos 1997 GRE  1:00.11  58.58  1:58.69  +13.38  97.48
 23  21  6531963 STEFFEY George 1997 USA  1:01.88  57.66  1:59.54  +14.23  103.29
 24  77  20442 RIUS GIMENEZ Alex 1998 AND  1:00.63  58.94  1:59.57  +14.26  103.50
 25  97  40624 ADAMS Jack 1998 AUS  1:01.24  59.11  2:00.35  +15.04  108.83
 26  69  6300673 WAKATSUKI Hayata 1999 JPN  1:09.52  56.78  2:06.30  +20.99  149.51
 27  103  230733 MANTSIOS Vasileios 1998 GRE  1:07.06  1:05.73  2:12.79  +27.48  193.88
 28  119  130040 HO Ping-Jui 1998 TPE  1:10.73  1:08.53  2:19.26  +33.95  238.11
 29  121  690763 GONCHARENKO Artem 1999 UKR  1:11.74  1:12.14  2:23.88  +38.57  269.70
 30  124  340576 SAMAHA Georges 2001 LBN  1:18.86  1:20.26  2:39.12  +53.81  373.90
Did not finish 2nd run
 80  110449 HOLSCHER Diego 2001 CHI
 79  6532116 KRUPKA Jimmy 1998 USA
 63  104539 SEGER Riley 1997 CAN
 58  6532123 NEGOMIR Kyle 1998 USA
 38  104818 MCCORMACK Declan 1999 CAN
 20  6300451 KATO Seigo 1998 JPN
 18  60261 MAES Sam 1998 BEL
 17  6531936 WINTERS Luke 1997 USA
 14  430762 JASICZEK Jedrzej 1997 POL
 7  54447 RUELAND Simon 1997 AUT
 2  92719 ZLATKOV Kamen 1997 BUL
 1  104468 READ Jeffrey 1997 CAN
Did not start 2nd run
 118  690777 SEMEN Marian 2001 UKR
Did not finish 1st run
 123  340569 HADDAD Issam 2001 LBN
 122  890009 SHRESTHA Saphal Ram 1998 NEP
 120  240157 SAFRANKA Bela 2000 HUN
 117  340495 ARNOUK Cesar 2000 LBN
 116  270082 ROMAN Zachary 2000 IRL
 115  660029 STARAZHENKA Dzmitry 2000 BLR
 114  660026 ZVERNIK Vlad 1998 BLR
 113  270080 REILLY Garreth 1999 IRL
 112  690775 PODOBEDOV Maksymilian 2001 UKR
 111  550099 LOSS Daniels 2000 LAT
 110  240154 MAROTY Matyas 2000 HUN
 109  660025 CHERTSIN Uladzislau 1998 BLR
 107  250399 GUDMUNDSSON Bjorn Asgeir 1998 ISL
 106  240158 TAUSZ Andras 2001 HUN
 105  360045 CASTERMANS Max 1998 LUX
 102  660023 CHERTSIN Daniil 1997 BLR
 101  690753 KARPUSHYN Mykhailo 1998 UKR
 100  110420 LEON Diego 1999 CHI
 99  481824 VORONOV Aleksandr 1997 RUS
 98  60286 GRANDJEAN Eliot 2000 BEL
 96  430810 MICHALIK Michal 2000 POL
 95  60273 LAHAYE Eric 1999 BEL
 94  221318 INNES Iain 1998 GBR
 92  6532350 BENEY William 1999 GBR
 91  390041 LUIK Juhan 1997 EST
 89  240149 NAGY Bence 1998 HUN
 88  151203 BENC Patrik 1997 CZE
 87  561404 BOZIC Borut 2000 SLO
 86  151253 OUVIN Jan 1999 CZE
 85  60287 LEFEVRE Basile 2000 BEL
 84  430802 PYJAS Pawel 1999 POL
 83  410412 DERWIN Colbey 1997 NZL
 82  151186 STRAKA Jan 1997 CZE
 76  110409 HORWITZ Kai 1998 CHI
 75  54481 TRANINGER Manuel 1998 AUT
 74  40612 SCOTT Alec 1997 AUS
 73  481841 OVCHINNIKOV Aleksey 1997 RUS
 72  561371 NAPOTNIK Jan 1997 SLO
 70  492192 ORTEGA Albert 1998 ESP
 68  422732 MCGRATH Atle Lie 2000 NOR
 67  390044 LAINE Tormis 2000 EST
 66  54471 DORNER Thomas 1998 AUT
 65  221290 POTH Robert 1997 GBR
 64  54483 OPETNIK Moritz 1998 AUT
 62  512353 ITEN Matthias 1999 SUI
 60  502298 HEDSTROEM Tobias 1998 SWE
 59  550086 GEDRA Zaks 1998 LAT
 57  380379 NIKIC Leon 1999 CRO
 56  492197 GARAY Aingeru 1998 ESP
 54  422558 SANDERBERG Olav Engelhardt 1997 NOR
 53  180817 SJOBERG Marlon 1997 FIN
 52  400301 ROSSUM VAN Max 1998 NED
 51  60256 VERBEKE Tom 1997 BEL
 50  180812 AHO Saku 1997 FIN
 49  502417 JONSSON Carl 2000 SWE
 48  280034 BIRAN Itamar 1998 ISR
 46  40621 MUHLEN-SCHULTE Louis 1998 AUS
 45  6292768 CANZIO Pietro 1998 ITA
 43  6292914 CANINS Matteo 1998 ITA
 41  561364 SPILAR Zan 1997 SLO
 40  104697 WALLACE Liam 1999 CAN
 39  561360 KRALJ Zan 1997 SLO
 37  481875 RIABITCA Konstantin 1997 RUS
 36  6190628 ANGUENOT Leo 1998 FRA
 35  422670 VOELLO Gustav Rosberg 1999 NOR
 32  502278 VENNERSTROEM Filip 1998 SWE
 31  6300464 KOYAMA Yohei 1998 JPN
 26  221320 VINTER Zak 1998 GBR
 24  180808 HANDOLIN Juho 1997 FIN
 23  30388 BIRKNER DE MIGUEL Tomas 1997 ARG
 19  6292401 GORI Francesco 1997 ITA
 11  92720 POPOV Albert 1997 BUL
 10  202808 MEISEN Adrian 1997 GER
 8  54445 HAASER Raphael 1997 AUT
 5  422572 BRUDEVOLL Bjoern 1997 NOR
Disqualified 1st run
 25  502319 BRAENDHOLM Jesper 1999 SWE
 15  180820 MANKINEN Miikka 1997 FIN
Did not start 1st run
 108  590039 ALMEIDA Samuel 1997 POR
 104  250411 THORDARSON Georg Fannar 1999 ISL
 93  110383 VON APPEN Sven 1997 CHI
 90  410425 RICHARDS Ben 2000 NZL

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About the Author: Monica Huebner

Monica is a native of Garmisch-Partenkrichen, Germany, and skied for SC Garmisch before a stint with the German national ski team. She eventually became an NCAA athlete at the University of Denver where she won the individual NCAA slalom title in 2015 and a team championship in 2016.