Alpine skiing-Olympic champion Noel wins Madonna night slalom

MADONNA ‌DI CAMPIGLIO, Italy, Jan 7 : France's reigning Olympic slalom champion Clement Noel took his first win of the World Cup Alpine skiing season on Wednesday ‌with less than a month ‌to go before the start of the Milano Cortina Games.

After two second places in the four previous slaloms, Noel got it together ‍under the floodlights in the Italian resort of Madonna di Campiglio to beat Finland's first-run leader Eduard Hallberg ​by 0.12 ‌seconds over the two legs.

France's Paco Rassat, winner on Austrian ​snow in Gurgl in November, finished third ⁠on the Canalone ‌Miramonti piste with Brazil's Lucas ​Pinheiro Braathen fourth.

Noel is now three points behind Norway's Timon ‍Haugan in the slalom standings with ⁠Rassat third.

The Olympics start on February ​6.