Historic Swiss hat-trick in Val d'Isère: Meillard triumphs ahead of Aerni and Odermatt

The Savoie resort of Val d'Isère was the scene of an exceptional performance by the Swiss team in the men's World Cup giant. Loïc Meillard won brilliantly, beating his compatriots Luca Aerni and Marco Odermatt to complete a 100% Swiss podium.

The final rankings for the Val d'Isère giant

1. Loïc Meillard (SUI) - 2:10.07
2. Luca Aerni (SUI) - +0.18
3. Marco Odermatt (SUI) - +0.33

Meillard back on the winning track

After a difficult start to the season without a podium finish, Loïc Meillard from the Valais put all doubts to rest with a masterly victory on the legendary Face de Bellevarde. Fifth after the first morning run, the skier from Hérémence put in a remarkable second run in shadowy conditions that were tricky for the top-ranked competitors.

His perfect management of the course and his ability to limit errors enabled him to beat his compatriot Luca Aerni by just 18 hundredths of a second, proving that he is back to his best.

Luca Aerni's surprise return to the podium

Luca Aerni created a sensation by taking second place, his first podium finish in a giant slalom. This performance marked a brilliant return to the top level for the Valaisan, eight years after his last World Cup podium, a second place in the Madonna slalom.

Having already finished fourth last year on the same Haute-Tarentaise piste that he is so fond of, Aerni was able to correct the errors of his first run to produce a second, much more accomplished run. Second place is his second World Cup podium and confirms his excellent relationship with the French resort.

Odermatt completes the hat-trick and takes back the red bib

Marco Odermatt, favourite for a fifth consecutive victory on the Face de Bellevarde and in search of his 50th World Cup success, ended up third, 33 hundredths behind the winner. Despite this relative disappointment, the Nidwaldian regained sole possession of the lead in the Giant Slalom rankings thanks to his red speciality leader's bib.

Austria's Stefan Brennsteiner, who was in the lead after the first run, had to settle for fifth place in the final, the victim of a more complicated second run.

A rare hat-trick for Switzerland

This Swiss domination is reminiscent of the last Swiss hat-trick, which dates back to 15 March at the Hafjell giant, when Meillard beat Odermatt and Thomas Tumler. The Swiss team's collective performance contrasts with the difficulties encountered by the women's speed sector, which has been hit by a number of injuries.

Thomas Tumler, seventh after the first run, unfortunately dropped down the rankings after adopting an overly aggressive approach on the second run. In the end, Tumler finished in 22nd place, while the other Swiss representatives failed to qualify for the final round, finishing in 30th place.

This victory marks the start of a new dynamic for Loïc Meillard and confirms the excellence of Swiss men's alpine skiing, which can now count on several podium contenders throughout the season.