Jean-Baptiste Grange of France and Veronika Zuzulova of Slovakia hold the distinction of being the first champions of the European Ski Federation after winning indoor slalom races at Amneville, France.

Grange marched though the elimination format taking out teammate Stephane Tissot in the round of 16, Thomas Koenig in the quarter finals and Manfred Moelgg in the semi-final match before his final match-up with Christof Innerhofer. Grange got the win by .24 of a second. The closest match of the day was for the three and four spot where Moelgg edged Marc Gini by .06.

Zuzulova easily dispatched Anne-Sophie Barthet, then Sandrine Aubert and Marion Pellissier before meeting Nastasia Noens in the finals, a match she won by a huge 1.01 seconds edge. Pellissier stopped Denise Karbon for the third place finish.

The “In-room” championship was held on a 482m runway before an estimated 1,000 fans.

Image of Grange on course by GEPA

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About the Author: Hank McKee

In memoriam: The veteran of the staff, McKee started with Ski Racing in 1980. Over the seasons, he covered virtually every aspect of the sport, from the pro tours to junior racing, freestyle and World Cup alpine competition. He wrote the first national stories for many U.S. team stars, and was still around to report on their retirements. “Longevity has its rewards,” he said, “but it’s a slow process.”