Marco Odermatt takes his fourth victory in the giant slalom in Beaver Creek in the sixth race of the season, closing a gap in his impressive palmares.
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- After the downhill on Thursday, Marco Odermatt also wins the giant slalom in Beaver Creek, taking his fourth victory in the sixth race of the season.
- The man from Nidwalden lays the foundation for his 49th World Cup victory with a strong first run and is able to save part of his large lead to the finish. "It wasn't a good second run from me," Odermatt clarifies at the finish.
- With a victory in Val d'Isère next weekend, Odermatt could draw level with Italian skiing legend Alberto Tomba in the all-time rankings.
The giant "curse" is definitely broken. After Marco Odermatt won the downhill for the first time last Thursday on the Birds of Prey, the man from Nidwalden went one better on Sunday and also claimed his first giant slalom victory in Beaver Creek at the fifth attempt.
"After the negative series here on this snow, the victory means a lot to me," said Odermatt in the SRF interview after the race, referring to his huge record so far at the ski resort in the Rocky Mountains. The best result up to Sunday was actually 27th place, the exceptional skier did not make it to the finish three times.
With the 25th run time to victory
What needs to be said, however: There was no giant slalom at all in Beaver Creek between 2019 and 2024. "I started here once in the top group before the break and was knocked out with an inside ski error. That also happened to me as a very young boy. Then again last year," recalls Odermatt and admits: "You have these things in your head a bit."
This may partly explain why Odermatt only set the 25th run time in the second run and only saved 23 hundredths of his 1.31-second lead over second-placed Vinatzer to the finish. "It wasn't a good second run from me," says Odermatt, who laid the foundation for victory with an outstanding first run.
One victory short of Alberto Tomba
"I knew that I had a big lead and had to stick to my plan of not trying to catch up after a mistake. That's how I managed to get a few hundredths across the finish line over the 'rumble'," said the 28-year-old.
With his 49th World Cup victory, Odermatt is closing in on fourth-placed Alberto Tomba in the all-time rankings and could draw level with the Italian as early as next weekend in Val d'Isère. "This is how I wanted to end my trip to the USA," Odermatt writes on Instagram - and doesn't forget his teammates after his 28th giant slalom triumph in the World Cup: "Congratulations, little boy Lenz Hächler, on your first points!"
