Meillard tops first run of Kitzbuehel slalom, Noel lurks

Switzerland's Loic Meillard was first out of the start hut in overcast conditions and the reigning world champion clocked a leading 50.97 seconds down the Ganslern course. Noel, who won Olympic slalom gold in Beijing four years ago, was 0.79sec off the Swiss racer's pace as just eight skiers got within a second of Meillard. Finland's Eduard Hallberg was second fastest, ahead of Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen, Austrian Manuel Feller, Belgium's Armand Marchant and another Swiss in the shape of Tanguy Nef.