Giant slaloms in Kranjska Gora – Odermatt’s ball fights: the crowning glory of “Podkoren 3”? – Sports


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At the weekend there are 2 giant slaloms in Kranjska Gora. They should make big decisions.

5 races, 4 victories, a second place – plus the Olympic victory. It doesn’t get any more dominant than Marco Odermatt in this giant slalom season. In Kranjska Gora, the crowning glory of the most complete ski racer of the winter could already follow this weekend.

live notice


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You can follow the two giant slaloms in Kranjska Gora on TV and in the SRF Sport App as follows:

  • Saturday: 1st run from 9:15 a.m. on SRF Zwei;
    2nd run from 12:20 p.m. on SRF Zwei
  • Sunday: 1st run from 9:25 a.m. on SRF info;
    2nd run from 12:25 p.m. on SRF Zwei

There are still two “giants” in the Slovenian holiday resort before the World Cup finals in Courchevel are launched next Wednesday. It’s quite possible that Odermatt will already be able to bag the small crystal ball on Saturday. With 3 races to go, his advantage is 219 points over Manuel Feller and their 227 over Henrik Kristoffersen. “For me, these are ball races,” the central Swiss clarifies.

Legend:

He’s allowed to chill the champagne

Marco Odermatt, here at his triumph in Kranjska Gora last year.

Keystone/AP/Marco Trovati

Especially since the piste called “Podkoren 3” Odermatt, which has meanwhile become a winner on every surface anyway, is wonderful. A year ago, he led a sensational double victory ahead of Loïc Meillard – by the way, by over a second. In 2019 he celebrated the first World Cup podium of his career in third place in Kranjska Gora. “The place has a special meaning for me, I always like coming here,” he says.

But not only the small ball is ready on the silver platter, “Odi” could also present decisively in the fight in the overall World Cup. He is currently 189 points ahead of his only competitor, Aleksander Kilde. With two wins, he would distance the Norwegian, who will not make the trip to Slovenia, by 389 points before the World Cup final.

The squad: Simonet’s premiere


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For the first time in a World Cup giant slalom, Livio Simonet will have a turn this weekend. Sandro’s younger brother has only been used once at the highest level: last winter he retired from the parallel event in Lech.

The other athletes in the Swiss-Ski squad: Marco Odermatt, Loïc Meillard, Justin Murisier, Gino Caviezel, Daniele Sette, Cédric Noger, Thomas Tumler.

Mathematically, of course, nothing would have been won even then, as there are still 4 individual competitions to come in the French Alps. But Kilde, not exactly known as a winner in the technical disciplines, would have to win all these races as a result, while Odermatt scored a maximum of 11 points. It would be no less than the greatest sporting miracle of our time.

Kilde congratulated Odermatt accordingly after his Super-G triumph in Kvitfjell/NOR: “Congratulations to Marco, that’s well deserved!” It would be the first big crystal ball for a Swiss player since Carlo Janka in 2010.

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