Yanqing (China) (AFP) - Clement Noel claimed France's first alpine skiing gold medal of the Beijing Olympics when he won the men's slalom on Wednesday.
Noel, sixth fastest after the first run, laid down the quickest second run to clock a combined total of 1min 44.09sec down the "Ice River" course in Yanqing in bitterly cold and sunny conditions.
Austria's Johannes Strolz, already a gold medallist in the alpine combined at these Games, took silver 0.61sec behind, while Norwegian Sebastian Foss-Solevaag claimed bronze at 0.70sec.
Noel's gold completed a full house for the French men's ski team after veteran Johan Clarey bagged downhill silver and Mathieu Faivre took a bronze medal in the giant slalom.
The most technical race on the alpine ski programme had promised to be one of the most open contests in recent history and so it proved.
Of the six World Cup races held this season, there have been five different winners, including Noel, while 14 different racers have made the podium.
Switzerland's Daniel Yule, 13th fastest in the first leg, set the pace before Noel took the lead with just five racers remaining.
Germany's Linus Strasser and Switzerland's Loic Meillard failed to bother Noel, leaving the top trio from the first run to chance their arm.
First down was world champ Foss-Solevaag, the Norwegian paying the price for a mistake midway down the icy course.
His teammate Henrik Kristoffersen, a bronze medallist from the 2014 Sochi Games, pushed hard to increase his lead of 0.36sec, but he faded badly in the lower section.
All eyes then turned to Strolz, fastest in the first run.The Austrian, who was dropped from the national team last year and even worked as a traffic policeman to pay his way, held his nerve out of the startgate.
But he, too, faded in the second half of the demanding piste, leaving Noel roaring with delight as the Austrian streaked through the finish line in the red.
