Marco Odermatt crowns his season with another victory in the giant slalom and at the same time sets a record. He finished on the podium in every giant slalom this winter.
Arms raised: Marco Odermatt is the measure of all things this winter.
(sda) Marco Odermatt ends his dream season with another win. The native of Nidwalden wins the giant slalom at the final in Méribel in France. Loïc Meillard is third.
He could have afforded to take it easy on his last appearance on the international stage this winter, to take a step back. It would have been understandable after this fantastic season with Olympic victory, overall World Cup victory and discipline victory in giant slalom.
But Odermatt had other ideas. Once again he wanted to underline his status as the currently best ski racer. He also wanted to use the last opportunity to add another success to his already great season record. He wanted the befitting conclusion to a fantastic winter.
Odermatt achieved his seventh World Cup victory this season, which also puts him number 1 in these statistics together with the Norwegian Aleksander Kilde. Odermatt was ready once more, although he too felt tired in his body after what was not only an extremely successful but also a strenuous winter.
Odermatt won, although his feeling before the race was not the best in the morning, according to his own assessment, and the first run was not optimal. A blunder in the upper part of the track probably cost some time, but none of his competitors were faster. Above all, the delicate situation once again showed one of the great qualities of the blond boy. He can react immediately to mistakes, which allows him to get back on track.
Words fail us! ? 1. Marco Odermatt, 3. Loïc Meillard, 5. Gino Caviezel, 9. Justin Murisier. A brilliant performance at the end of the giant slalom season – simply great!
Image: Keystone SDA#onfire #swissskiteam pic.twitter.com/BV9v6ZTkFS— SwissSkiTeam (@swissskiteam) March 19, 2022
Odermatt celebrated the fifth victory in the eighth World Cup giant slalom of the winter. He was the first Swiss to finish among the top three in all World Cup races of a season in the basic discipline. Not even the former greats like Michael von Grünigen or Pirmin Zurbriggen managed to do that. In addition to the five first places, Odermatt has two second places and one third place.
Meillard was third behind the Norwegian Lucas Braathen for the first time this winter at an award ceremony after a giant slalom. The podium was overdue for Neuchâtel. A week ago he was fourth in the first race in Kranjska Gora in Slovenia, and this winter he has also finished seventh, eighth and ninth. Gino Caviezel in fifth and Justin Murisier in ninth rounded off the strong performance of the Swiss “giants” team.
Henrik Kristoffersen, the winner of the two giant slaloms from last weekend in Kranjska Gora, dropped out in the first run. His Norwegian compatriot Kilde, Odermatt’s biggest opponent in the fight for the big crystal ball, finished twelfth in his first giant slalom after suffering a cruciate ligament rupture the penultimate January. Thanks to the best time in the second run, Kilde made up eleven places.
Meribel (FRA). World Cup Final. Men’s giant slalom: 1. Marco Odermatt (SUI) 2:10.40. 2. Lucas Braathen (NOR) 0.49 behind. 3. Loïc Meillard (SUI) 0.63. 4. Stefan Brennsteiner (AUT) 0.74. 5.Gino Caviezel (SUI) 0.88. 6. Alexis Pinturault (FRA) 0.92. 7.Patrick Feurstein (AUT) 1.16. 8. Atle Lie McGrath (NOR) 1.18. 9. Justin Murisier (SUI) 1.43. 10. Alexander Steen Olsen (NOR) and Marco Schwarz (AUT) 1.44. — 12. Aleksander Kilde (NOR) 1.57. 16. Manuel Feller (AUT) 1.96. 17 Zan Kranjec (SLO) 2.03. – All 23 finalists classified.