Alpine Skiing - FIS Alpine World Ski Championships - Saalbach, Austria - February 16, 2025 Switzerland's Loic Meillard reacts after his run during the Men's Slalom REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
SAALBACH, Austria (Reuters) -Switzerland's Loic Meillard won men's slalom gold in the final race of the Alpine skiing world championships on Sunday after first-run leader Clement Noel skied out.
Meillard claimed victory by 0.26 seconds to become the first Swiss man to be crowned slalom world champion for 75 years.
Norway's Atle Lie McGrath was second with Linus Strasser giving Germany their first medal as he took bronze.
France's Olympic champion Noel was leading after the opening run and looked on course for gold but he straddled a gate as he tried to dislodge Meillard from top spot.
Noel is yet to win a world championships medal having finished just off the podium two years ago.
World Cup slalom leader and defending world champion Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway finished a disappointing 13th.
"It's crazy, I know slalom can be tough and so many people can ski fast," said the 28-year-old Meillard, who also won the team combined with team mate Franjo von Allmen and was third in Friday's giant slalom.
"On the GS I tried to get the gold, so today it was a case of all in and see what happens. It's not nice to win by someone else going out but that's the sport today."
Meillard's victory completed a dominant championships for the Swiss who claimed four of the five men's titles.
The last Swiss man to win the slalom world title was Georges Schneider in 1950.
Switzerland finished top of the overall medals table with five golds and 13 medals. Hosts Austria were second with two golds in their total of seven medals.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Ed Osmond)
