As of: March 29, 2024, 8:52 a.m
By: Christoph Klaucke
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The two-time Olympic champion Michelle Gisin gave away victory at the Swiss Championships shortly before the finish - with full intention.
Lenzerheide – Unreal scenes on Lenzerheide. At the Swiss Championships, the spectators could hardly believe their eyes. Double Olympic champion Michelle Gisin was on her way to gold in the slalom, but then she suddenly braked shortly before the finish. There is calculation behind the maneuver.
Ski star on her way to gold - then she deliberately brakes shortly before the finish
Gisin goes into the second slalom round as the leader. The 30-year-old was already over a second ahead, and her first championship title is actually just a formality. But then everything turns out differently.
The two-time podium finisher from last World Cup season suddenly slows down. At the last gates, Gisin slows down significantly, no longer attacks the tilting bars and slides to the finish behind.
Double Olympic champion Michelle Gisin gave away victory in the Swiss Ski Championships in the final meters. © Maxim Thore/Imago
Double Olympic champion selfless: Gisin gives up the gold medal for her colleagues
Gisin only ends up sixth. Swiss champion will be Nicole Good (26), Aline Höpli and Lorina Zelger will complete the podium. In this way, Gisin helps the other young drivers collect important FIS points. As a result, the colleagues achieve a better position in the world rankings and consequently better starting numbers in the new season.
Swiss Ski CEO Walter Reusser sees nothing reprehensible in the maneuver, on the contrary: “Of course it is special when drivers brake. But it's nice when stars give up victory for the benefit of their younger colleagues." A noble gesture from Gisin, who is still waiting for her first Swiss championship title.
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No Swiss championship title, but two gold medals at the Olympics
However, the experienced World Cup rider should be able to get over that. Gisin won Olympic gold in combination in 2018 and 2022, and there was also a bronze medal in Super-G in Beijing. In the World Cup combination it was enough for silver (2017) and bronze (2021). In the World Cup, Gisin won the Semmering Slalom in 2020.
In the past season, however, things weren't quite as successful; only in the slaloms in Lienz and Aare was it enough for the podium. Before the start of the season, the double Olympic champion made a sweet declaration of love to a winter sports star for his birthday.
(ck)