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Noel wins second straight World Cup slalom at Gurgl with Jakobsen second

Clement Noel of France competes in the first run of the men's slalom race during the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup in Gurgl, Austria
Clement Noel of France competes in the first run of the men's slalom race during the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup in Gurgl, AustriaJohann Groderapa / EXPA / AFP
Frenchman Clement Noel (27) won a second straight World Cup slalom at Gurgl in Austria on Sunday assuring his triumph with a blistering first run.

The 2022 Olympic champion Noel then faltered but dug deep in the second leg to top the podium just 0.43 seconds ahead of Sweden's Kristoffer Jakobsen and 0.44 seconds faster than Norway's Atle Lie McGrath.

For Jakobsen, it was agonisingly close to his first-ever World Cup win but instead, he had to be content in filling the runners-up spot for the third time in his career.

It is the second time Noel has put together back-to-back wins - the previous time was in Wengen and Kitzbuehel in January 2019.

"He is in a league of his own," said McGrath of Noel.

Noel for his part was more relieved than anything else at holding onto his lead.

"I knew the competition was tough, so I'm very happy with the victory, it was a real fight," Noel said.

"It was tough for everybody, I was confident at the start but then I made mistakes in the second run and I didn't know if it was going to be enough to win," he added.

There was further disappointment for ski legend and two-time Olympic gold medallist Marcel Hirscher.

The 35-year-old Austrian now skiing for the Netherlands, the land of his mother, failed to finish the first leg, the same fate that befell last year's Gurgl victor Manu Feller.

This was a 12th career World Cup win for Noel, from the Val d'Isere ski resort, who won the first slalom of the campaign at Levi, Finland, in mid-November.

His win in Levi had ended a World Cup drought dating back to January 2023.

All his wins have come in the slalom, so the upcoming races will not to be his taste.

American resort Beaver Creek in Colorado is the next stop, from December 6th to 8th, featuring speed events, a downhill, a super-G and a giant slalom.