Meillard leads Pinturault after 1st run of World Cup GS

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KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia — Swiss skier Loïc Meillard edged Alexis Pinturault to lead the penultimate men’s World Cup giant slalom of the season after the opening run Saturday.

Meillard was 0.11 seconds faster than the Frenchman, who leads the discipline and the overall standings.

Meillard has six career podiums, including one win from a parallel GS a year ago.

Stefan Brennsteiner of Austria was 0.51 behind in third.

Fourth-place Marco Odermatt had 0.61 to make up in the second leg. The Swiss skier trails Pinturault by 25 points in the GS standings.

The only other contender for the season title, Croatia’s Filip Zubcic, finished more than two seconds off the lead.

One more GS is scheduled after Saturday’s race — at the season-ending finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, next week.

Pinturault and Odermatt are also ranked 1-2 in the overall standings, with the Frenchman holding a lead of 81 points.

Marco Schwarz opted not to start. The combined world champion from Austria hurt his back in training this week and preferred to rest ahead of Sunday’s slalom, his strongest discipline.


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