Daniel Yule claims a huge comeback win in World Cup slalom at Madonna Di Campiglio in Italy

Daniel Yule claimed a dramatic victory at the Madonna Di Campiglio FIS World Cup slalom on Thursday night.

The Swiss won with a combined time of 1:37.67, but after the third run he sat in fourth place, with Lucas Braathen leading the way at the halfway stage.

After two runs Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen finished second and Germany’s Linus Strasser took the final place on the podium.

Kristoffersen’s compatriot Braathen ultimately finished fourth after a poor second run when he lost time from the opening sector onwards following a first run of 49.30 and a second of 48.54.

22-year-old Braathen was not the only entrant to suffer a late disappointment as Switzerland’s Loic Meillard was poised to do well in second, but was an early DNF after disqualification in the second run.

For Yule, the result marks an encouraging comeback for the 29-year-old. The win was his first after two seasons without finishing in a podium place at a World Cup event, and is his fifth World Cup slalom win.

There was perhaps less surprise that Yule did well at the slope given it is his third win here, making it by far his preferred destination for the slalom.

Speaking to Eurosport about whether Madonna was a special place for him, Yule acknowledged: “Yeah, for sure, I think I have a little bit of a love story with Madonna. The slopes are amazing here.”

He referenced his recent struggles and said, “to be back on the top step here after a few difficult seasons, it just feels amazing.”

Speaking Italian to the native crowd, he added: “Thank you to you all, there’s a beautiful atmosphere at Madonna.”