Yule tops 3rd Madonna di Campiglio SL

Yule on course to victory, Madonna di Campiglio Photo credit: GEPA

It is customary in World Cup that the 30 fastest athletes from the first run take the start for the final. These thirty competitors represent the best slalom skiers in the world that day. They rarely disappoint, and today was no exception.

The best is simply the best, and again today they revealed they are nearly impossible to beat. Consequently, when it is time for the five fastest from the first run to ski the final, ski fans witness the amazing. First, Henrik Kristoffersen took the lead, followed immediately by Daniel Yule. Yule finished with a total time of only 0.08 of a second faster than the Norwegian. Those two then could fend off the following two challengers only to watch Lucas Braathen lose his first-run advantage and finish fourth. Linus Strasser, who had finished his final run in third place, could also fend off the best two from the first run and remained on the podium.

Yule wins again in Madonna di Campiglio

There were no first-time podium recipients in this year’s Madonna di Campiglio, but three-time Madonna di Campiglio champion Daniel Yule is almost a surprising 2022 winner. Skiing with the determination and confidence required to win, he experienced his seventh career World Cup slalom victory. However, his last victory had come in Kitzbühel in January 2020.

Notably, he has solved the stance issue that had plagued him and prevented him from making his best ski-to-ski transitions. Most likely it included an improvement to his equipment setup. Hopefully, he will continue to be great for his home crowd in Adelboden. He has now returned to the top of the sport and back to his best.

Yule matched Alberto Tomba and Henrik Kristoffersen in second place on the all-time wins list for the Italian race, trailing only Ingemar Stenmark’s five victories.

“I think I have a bit of a love story with Madonna,” Yule said. “The slope is amazing here and to be back on the top step after a few difficult seasons, it just feels amazing.”

Kristoffersen continues to knock on the door

Henrik Kristoffersen continues to knock on the door of victory and shows that his transition to Van Deer-Redbull skis is on track. Kristoffersen used the second-fastest final run to finish 2nd. He has also realized his fourth podium of the season.

“We have to keep working, but when you’re on the podium it’s not too bad,” Kristoffersen said.

New dad prevails

Linus Strasser adds his six World Cup podiums to his resume. Linus recently welcomed his first child and is skiing with added motivation. What father doesn’t want the best for his baby girl? Strasser finished the second run in third, but four athletes remained to ski. None of them, however, could dethrone the German racer from the third step.

The first run leader didn’t have what it took today

Lucas Braathen uncharacteristically relinquished all of his first run time advantage but was gracious in defeat. “It’s a sprint, and I didn’t run all the way to the finish,” Braathen said. “It’s a painful fourth place.”

The second run had only begun when last year’s silver medalist Sweden’s Kristoffer Jakobsen, skiing fourth in the final run, showed he knew how to take advantage of his early start position. With the fastest second run, Jakobsen finished well ahead of those who started before him and held the lead for the next nine racers. He watched much of the run from the desirable location of the Audi leader’s chair. However, the talented Austrian Marco Schwarz refused to relinquish all of his first-run advantages and finished in the lead. With the fastest second run, Jakobsen moved up 20 positions and finished seventh.

Notably stories from the race

Schwarz is an all-around skier but very strong in slalom. Schwarz stayed in the lead for the following eight racers until his close friend Manuel Feller crossed with a combined time 0.28 of a second faster than his. However, Schwarz moved up a total of eleven positions.

Schwarz and Jakobsen were among the best ten when the race finished. Schwarz finished the day in 6th and Jakobsen in 7th.

For the first time in history, Great Britain had three athletes score World Cup points in the same race. Congratulations to GBR.

Erik Read was the sole North American qualified for the second run. Read qualified 30th in the first run and which entitled him to run first in the final. He took advantage of the situation to move up eight positions. He finishes 22nd. Read is the only North American male to qualify at a slalom final this season.

Analysis of the top three, Schwarz, Jakobsen, and Read as well as the results

Results of Madonna di Campiglio slalom December 22nd

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