Noël is the first French Olympic champion in alpine skiing since Antoine Dénériaz, winner of the downhill in 2006. He was 61/100 ahead of the Austrian Johannes Strolz, titled in combined last week, and 70/100 the world champion Norwegian Sebastian Foss-Solevaag.
Sixth in the first run, Noël clocked the best time on the second course under a bright sun to win his first international medal after winning nine slaloms in the World Cup.
He succeeds for France in the Olympic slalom prize list to Jean-Pierre Vidal (consecrated in 2002), Jean-Claude Killy (1968) and the sisters Christine (1964) and Marielle Goitschel (1968).
Noël had shown himself at a very high level with a surprise fourth place at the Pyeongchang Olympics in 2018. Since then, he has been world number two in the specialty three times (from 2019 to 2021).
Frenchman Clément Noël in the finish area of the slalom at the Beijing Olympics, February 16, 2022 Dimitar DILKOFF AFP
He won the Olympic title in the heart of a hectic winter: he had won the first slalom of the season in Val d'Isère before not getting back on the podium for the next five races, frustrated by recurring faults.
Alexis Pinturault, reduced by a shoulder, finished in an anonymous 16th place, and will leave the Games without an individual medal for the first time in his career.
© 2022 AFP