(Gurgl) Manuel Feller led Austria to a podium sweep in a World Cup men’s slalom on Saturday, in a race that was interrupted by climate activists.
While five runners still had to start their last race, a few demonstrators from the Last Generation movement entered the course just behind the finish line and sprinkled orange powder on the snow.
The campaigners were transported from the finish area by security staff and police, while course attendants cleared the snow before the race resumed eight minutes later.
In a post on Twitter, Last Generation said the action was a protest against government subsidies for fossil fuels.
The same group also demonstrated before the previous World Cup in Austria in October, when they blocked the only mountain road leading to the Sölden Glacier. Three protesters then sat for about 20 minutes, blocking the way.
Feller maintained his lead in the first run to beat teammate Marco Schwarz by 0.23 seconds.
Michael Matt followed 1.05 seconds behind to complete the Austrian triple on the Kirchenkar course, a new venue on the circuit.
Feller claimed his third victory on the World Cup circuit and ended an Austrian drought in men’s slalom.
No Austrian skier had won a slalom since Johannes Strolz’s triumph in Adelboden in January 2022, a streak of 17 races.
It was the fourth Austrian sweep in a major slalom. This hasn’t happened since a hat-trick by Marcel Hirscher, Matt and Schwarz at the 2019 Worlds in Are, Sweden.
Clément Noël, the French Olympic champion, was second after the first run, before slipping to 12th.
