This weekend, Saint-Moritz hosted the World Cup ski finals. Mathieu Faivre achieved another podium finish (3rd) unlike Nastasia Noens, who fell during the second run. The Niçoise suffers from a torn cruciate ligament. Margot Bailet achieved a respectable 10th in the downhill, while her brother, Matthieu, did not finish his first Super-G. Review of the 2015-2016 season.
Faivre, the season of maturity
Junior world champion in giant slalom on January 31, 2010, Mathieu Faivre had his first significant World Cup season. In the 10 races this winter, the skier from Isola 2000 achieved 8 Top 10 finishes, including 5 Top 5, and his first two podiums. The first, on February 13 in Yuzawa Naeba, Japan (2nd), and the second last Saturday during the finals in Saint-Moritz. The Niçois even claimed, for the first time in his career, a race win. Another notable performance was his fourth place in the Giant Slalom standings with 423 points and 21st place in the overall World Cup standings, despite competing in only one discipline. At 24 years old, Mathieu Faivre confirmed his vast potential, speed, and talent in a high-level French team alongside Alexis Pinturault, Thomas Fanara, and Victor Muffat-Jeandet.
A season full of joy and a nightmare ending for Noens
To think that Nastasia Noens was still in contention for the podium before that terrible fall on the Swiss slopes of Saint-Moritz. On Saturday, the Niçoise experienced a major setback in her career. An MRI confirmed on Monday a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee. The Interclub Nice skier will undergo surgery on Thursday in Lyon and will be sidelined for 5 to 6 months. Her goal is to be ready for the first slalom of the 2016-2017 season in Levi (Finland) on November 12. Before this setback, Nastasia Noens was having her best season on the circuit. She finished 7th in the discipline standings with 382 points, thanks to 7 Top 10 finishes in 10 races, including a podium on February 15 in Crans-Montana (2nd). With three career podiums, Noens is a leading figure in French slalom skiing.
Margot Bailet asserts herself
Women’s speed events were depleted at the start of the season following the retirements of Marie Marchand-Arvier and Marion Rolland. The 25-year-old Niçoise was thus one of the more experienced French competitors on the World Cup circuit. After more than six months of competition, the outcome is positive with 5 Top 10 finishes, including a notable 4th place in the Lake Louise downhill on December 4. Although the skier from Interclub Nice struggled during January and February, she ended the season on a high note in the downhill finals in Saint-Moritz. Margot Bailet finished 10th, 1’14” behind the winner, placing her 18th in the speed standings (30th in Super-G). All her races in the winter of 2015-2016 should help the Niçoise advance and approach the next season with the goal of achieving her “first podium.”
A younger brother destined to make waves
The new generation of French speed skiing may be led by Matthieu Bailet, Margot’s younger brother. At just 19 years old, the Niçois claimed the world Super-G title last February 29 in Sochi, Russia. This high-level performance earned the young Frenchman an invitation to the finals in Saint-Moritz. However, in his first race “with the big leagues,” Matthieu Bailet did not finish. He redeemed himself the next day by winning the national junior title. This winter, he achieved 4 podiums in FIS Races, the second-tier world competitions, and a university victory on the Swiss slopes of Saint-Moritz. Undoubtedly, during the winter of 2016-2017, we could see Matthieu Bailet at the starting gates of World Cup Super-G and Giant Slalom events.
