Junior World Champions Crowned in Ladies’ Slalom and Men’s Downhill

Slovenian Meta Hrovat, the reigning World Junior Champion in the slalom, did in it again in Val di Fassa. After crashing in Tuesday’s giant slalom, Hrovat won both first and second run to give her the title over Switzerland’s Aline Danioth by 0.89 seconds.

Hrovat is not only the reigning champion in the slalom but a silver medalist in the alpine combined at last years World Juniors. She has also become a more consistent finisher on the World Cup circuit in the 2018/19 season since her first start in 2016. Her best results in the giant slalom and slalom on the tour thus far are a seventh-place finish in Kronplatz’s giant slalom, and an 11th place finish in the Maribor slalom.

“After the disappointment in the giant slalom I wanted to redeem myself,” said Hrovat. “The last few weeks have been particularly difficult and demanding. I was a bit disappointed by the World Cup in Are and the exit in the giant slalom on Tuesday. Now I’ll take a few days to rest and try to recover from the foot problem that has plagued me in the last period and focus on the last two World Cup races.”

Sweden’s Elsa Fermbaeck Haakansson charged from bib 18 to finish fourth in the first run, putting her in a solid position to break onto the podium on the world stage for the first time in her career. Haakansson finished 1.28 seconds back from Hrovat.

Top honors for the Americans went to Katie Hensien in tenth place and Keely Cashman in 23rd.

On the men’s side, Switzerland’s Lars Roesti bested his downhill bronze medal in 2017 to become the new World Junior Champion in the men’s downhill, sliding ahead of Austria’s Julian Schuetter by 0.12 seconds. Last year his teammate, Marco Odermatt won the honors.

“I was already on the podium at the Junior World Ski Championships last year, but putting the gold medal around my neck is something wonderful,” said Roesti. “Now I am thinking about the super-G.”

Austrian Manueal Traninger rounded out the podium, but only by a hair. He fended off Norway’s Atle Lie McGrath by one one-hundredth of a second to hang on to the bronze.

Kyle Negomir finished in the top position for the Americans in sixth, followed by River Radamus just seven hundredths behind in eighth.

The men take on the super-G track at World Juniors on Thursday starting at 11 a.m. CET.

Top 10 Ladies’ Slalom

1. Meta Hrovat (SLO): +1:47.70
2. Aline Danioth (SUI): +0.89
3. Elsa Fermbaeck Haakanasson (SWE): +1.28
4. Neja Dvornik (SLO): +1.33
5. Lara Mea Della (ITA): +1.85
6. Camille Rast (SUI): +1.98
7. Amelia Smart (CAN): +2.01
8. Sara Rask (SWE): +2.08
9. Marta Rossetti (ITA): +2.11
10. Katie Hensien (USA): +2.31

For full FIS results, click here.

Top 10 Men’s Downhill

1. Lars Roesti (SUI): 1:20.21
2. Julian Schuetter (AUT): +0.12
3. Manuel Traninger (AUT): +0.45
4. Atle Lie McGrath (NOR): +0.46
5. Josua Mettler (SUI): +0.63
6. Kyle Negomir (USA): +0.70
7. Cedric Ochsner (SUI): +0.74
8. River Radamus (USA): +0.77
9. Florian Loriot (FRA): +0.83
10. Nicolo Molteni (ITA): +0.84

For full FIS results, click here.