Swiss siblings Mélanie and Loïc Meillard win the 2018 Longines Rising Ski Stars Prize
Press Release
Swiss siblings Mélanie and Loïc Meillard win the 2018 Longines Rising Ski Stars Prize
On the occasion of the FIS Alpine World Cup Finals taking place this week in Åre, Sweden, the Swiss watch brand Longines marked the conclusion of the season by awarding the Longines Rising Ski Stars Prize to Swiss siblings Mélanie and Loïc Meillard, who have distinguished themselves as the best female skier (under 21) and the best male skier (under 23) of the 2017/2018 World Cup season.
Following today’s Ladies’ slalom race, Loïc Meillard was presented with a Longines timepiece, as well as a trophy and a cheque, while his sister Melanie, who did not participate in the finals due to an injury, was represented by Swiss-Ski representative Jérôme Krieg. The FIS Alpine World Cup Finals are also the opportunity for Longines to highlight the Official Watch of the season, the Conquest V.H.P. «Very High Precision», representing a new achievement in the field of quartz.
Bringing together the season’s top-25 male and female skiers in each discipline, the FIS Alpine World Cup Finals are taking place this year in the Scandinavian ski resort of Åre, Sweden, which will also host the next FIS Alpine Ski World Championships – both event supported by Longines as the Official Partner and Timekeeper. On the occasion of the Finals, the Swiss watch brand celebrated the conclusion of the season by awarding the Longines Rising Ski Stars Prize. This year, it was a family-shared recognition, as Swiss siblings Mélanie and Loïc Meillard have distinguished themselves as the best female skier (under 21) and the best male skier (under 23) of the 2017/2018 World Cup season.
For Mélanie Meillard, 2018 started off well as she claimed her first podium in the FIS Alpine World Cup, finishing third in the City Event in Oslo, Norway. With a total of 431 points at the end of the season, ahead of Katharina Gallhuber (AUT) with 303 points and Katharina Liensberger with 206 points, Mélanie finished ten times in the top-10 in World Cup races. With a score of 299 points at the end of the season, triple Junior World Champion Loïc Meillard had a very good season as well, being amongst the 10 best skiers at five of his World Cup races. Following the Ladies’ slalom race, Loïc Meillard was presented with a Longines timepiece, as well as a trophy and a cheque, from the hands of Longines Vice President and Head of International Marketing Juan-Carlos Capelli and Casper Gebeke, of Longines Sweden. His sister Melanie, who did not participate in the finals due to an injury, was represented by Jérôme Krieg from Swiss-Ski, who received the coveted recognition on her behalf.
Longines supports the champions of tomorrow
In the same spirit of commitment to young sports talents, the Swiss watchmaker organized yesterday the Longines Future Ski Champions race, a one-of-a-kind competition gathering the best international skiers under 16 years old. Selected by their respective federations, twelve young skiers from twelve different countries competed in a two-run giant slalom in conditions similar to the professional circuit. The champion of this fifth edition, Italian skier Lorenzo Thomas Bini, was rewarded with a Longines watch and a trophy. The brand also presented a cheque, dedicated to promoting the discipline among young people, to his national federation.
The FIS Alpine World Cup Finals are also the opportunity for Longines to highlight the Official Watch of the season, the Conquest V.H.P. « Very High Precision », which represents a new achievement in the field of quartz, combining great precision, high technicality and a sporty look, marked by the brand’s unique elegance. Displaying a silver dial and mounted on a steel bracelet, this timepiece is equipped with an intelligent crown, as well as a perpetual calendar. In addition, its movement is renowned for its high degree of precision for an analog watch (± 5 seconds/year) and its ability to reset its hands after an impact or exposure to a magnetic field.