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Lucas Braathen
Photo:
JOE KLAMAR / AFP
At the start of the World Cup for alpine skiers there was a big surprise in Sölden: The only 20-year-old Norwegian talent Lucas Braathen won the giant slalom just ahead of Marco Odermatt (Switzerland / + 0.05).
His team mate Gino Caviezel (+0.46) came third.
For Braathen in his still young career it was the first podium place in his 22nd World Cup race; he only made his debut almost two years ago.
However, he had already appeared at the Junior World Championships in recent years.
In 2019 he won silver with the team, in 2019 silver in the super-G and bronze in the combination.
In Sölden he was still fifth at halftime.
Germans leave "very good results"
Meanwhile, the German racers Stefan Luitz and Alexander Schmid missed the desired top position in Sölden.
Luitz finished 14th with a gap of 1.80 seconds just ahead of Schmid (15./+1.82).
"That was a big step in the right direction," said Luitz of his improvement in the final, in which he improved by ten places: "I tried to ski normally again. But I'm still very disappointed with my first one Passage. "
He "drove around too much in the area. That way you don't get anything down there."
Schmid was "on the whole really very satisfied with my skiing".
He gambled away a better position with a mistake on the exit from the steep slope into the flat.
"You just have to risk everything, unfortunately I gave a goal too early pressure," he said.
Fabian Gratz clearly missed the final at the second World Cup start as 40th.
According to the men's head coach Christian Schwaiger, the duo had a "solid start".
But Schwaiger also quarreled with "that we left a very good result".
The day before, the four German women had missed the second round of the giant slalom when the Italian Marta Bassino won and had no points.
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