Alexis Pinturault is not the combined world champion for the second time in his career.
The Courchevel skier did not keep his title won last year in Sweden.
Already second in the Super-G this Monday at noon, behind Canadian James "Jack" Crawford, Pinturault again finished second in the slalom on Monday afternoon.
But the name of the first is not the same: the Frenchman was beaten this time by the Austrian Marco Schwartz for only four hundredths of a second in total of the two races.
Marco Schwarz ahead of Alexis Pinturault 🇫🇷 for four hundredths!
What a round for the Austrian who temporarily takes first place in this combined!
# Cortina2021 #ChaletClub
Follow the outcome of this combined on Eurosport 2 and https://t.co/XcZuM6O9AA pic.twitter.com/FyV6g8RgY1
- Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) February 15, 2021
Starting just behind the Canadian Crawford, author of the best time a few hours earlier in the Super-G, Alexis Pinturault made up again his delay of eight hundredths on the Canadian.
It was off to a good start.
After him, the Austrians Vincent Kriechmayr, already world downhill champion, and Matthias Mayer missed some doors and did not see the finish.
Quite the opposite of Marco Schwartz.
Marco Schwartz made no mistake
Before the start of this second race, there was 40 hundredths of a second difference between Pinturault and Schwartz.
Unfortunately for him, the French did not achieve the best slalom of his career.
One or two random trajectories have eaten up his time.
“I struggled in the first part and it was not easy to start among the first.
Afterwards, it was smoother, ”confesses the Frenchman.
In the total of the two races, he finished his combined in 2'05''90.
Not enough to be comfortable watching your competitors go down.
In fact, after the failures of Kriechmayr and Mayer, Marco Schwartz achieved an almost perfect slalom.
In any case enough to take the time from the reigning world champion.
The Austrian finished his combined in 2'05''86.
Do the math: it's four hundredths better than Pinturault.
It's three times nothing.
" I am happy.
I had a lot of fun in the Super G and on this icy track it was super tight with Alexis.
But I was focused and I have the right job, ”summarizes the Austrian.
A second medal
Already a Super G medalist last week, Alexis Pinturault won his second medal in these Italian Worlds.
He still hasn't won the one he came for, the golden one, but he is getting closer: "We have to put things in context, consoles the leader of French skiing. It's a medal money that I earn in a World Cup and there was a good fight.
Four hundredths, that makes you tick of course.
I would prefer to have them in my favor, but there has to be a winner.
I have a bronze medal and a silver in this World Cup, it's beautiful.
"
Alexis Pinturault will have one last opportunity to seek a world champion title.
It will be Friday in the giant slalom: “It's the discipline where I feel best with more benchmarks than on the combined since there has been only one this year because of the Covid.
The ideal would be to continue my momentum while having fun.
"