Taylor Fourth As Gb Make Their Best World Cup Start

Great Britain's Laurie Taylor claimed a career-best fourth-place decorativeness successful nan opening men's slalom arena of nan World Cup play successful Levi arsenic nan British squad produced their champion mixed capacity successful nan event's history.

Taylor, 29, led for nan mostly of nan 2nd tally successful Finland earlier narrowly missing retired connected a first podium place, while seasoned Dave Ryding was seventh arsenic GB achieved 2 top-10 finishers successful a World Cup arena for only nan 2nd time.

The opening men's slalom title of nan play was won by Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who took nan sixth World Cup triumph of his profession and first representing Brazil, pursuing his move from Norway successful 2024.

Taylor was 15th aft nan first tally but put unit connected nan leaders pinch nan fastest 2nd run, finishing successful a full clip of 1 infinitesimal 51.33 seconds - 0.31 seconds down Pinheiro Braathen, who was fastest successful nan first leg.

France's Noel Clement was 2nd while Finland's Eduard Hallberg claimed a first podium of his career, pipping Taylor to 3rd spot by conscionable 0.04 seconds.

"It felt amazing, I had nary thought that was wherever I was going to extremity up," Taylor told BBC Sport .

"The tally felt coagulated and successful charge. I conscionable kept climbing [in nan standings] it was rather surreal. It's a immense assurance boost for nan remainder of nan season.

"I've been moving truthful difficult for truthful long, truthful to break successful for illustration that to fourth, it really intends nan world."

Reflecting connected nan team's capacity overall, GB men's slalom coach Jai Geyer said: "What a day.

"That's nan champion commencement to nan play we've had arsenic a team, pinch thing we've ne'er done earlier present - 2 successful nan apical 7 - truthful we're each pumped, awesome for nan team. What a coagulated start."

It was a singular measurement guardant successful Taylor's career, his erstwhile champion World Cup decorativeness was eighth successful Aspen successful March 2024.

Former World Cup slalom victor Ryding, 38, besides vanished seventh successful that title - nan only different clip nan British squad had 2 top-10 finishers successful a World Cup event.

Levi besides marked nan first clip nan British squad had entered 4 skiers successful a World Cup race, pinch Billy Major (27th) and Luca Carrick-Smith (DNF) besides competing.

The title besides marked nan first World Cup triumph for Brazil.

Pinheiro Braathen won nan wide slalom title successful 2023 while representing Norway, but past took a twelvemonth retired of nan athletics and returned past season, competing for Brazil, his mother's autochthonal country.