'Probably unbeatable today': Odermatt wins sixth straight giant slalom race
Dec 18, 2023·Alpine Skiing
It seems nothing can stop Marco Odermatt (SUI) in giant slalom at the moment — not his opponents, not the famously challenging Gran Risa piste, and not even a gruelling schedule that saw him compete in five events in five days.
The Swiss star stayed unbeaten in giant slalom this season by powering to his second triumph in 24 hours in Alta Badia on Monday, reaching the podium for the fourth time in a long weekend of multi-discipline racing in the Italian Dolomites.
After being challenged all the way by Filip Zubcic (CRO) in Sunday's first giant slalom, Odermatt raised his game to another level on Monday to blow away the field by over a second.
In a two-run masterclass, the 26-year-old led by 0.87 seconds after the morning leg and extended his advantage in the second run to win by 1.05 seconds over Marco Schwarz (AUT), with Zan Kranjec (SLO) in third, 17 hundredths further back.
"Two amazing days, it's so nice to come here in the finish with another victory in this atmosphere, in the Dolomites with the last sunshine of the day," Odermatt said.
"It's never easy but for sure with the big advantage from the first run I knew I probably didn't have to take 100 per cent risks.
"I took it a little bit easier in the first six, seven, eight gates because they've been very, very turny, but from then on I was in the run and I could ski well."
To say he is skiing well is quite the understatement, as the Olympic and world champion is dominating giant slalom in a way that hasn't been seen in men's Alpine skiing in four decades.
His sixth straight World Cup giant slalom win dating back to last season took him past Marcel Hirscher's (AUT) streak of five in 2017/18, and he now sits behind only Ingemar Stenmark's (SWE) incredible run of 14 straight from 1978 to 1980.
Additionally, Odermatt has now won 15 of the past 20 World Cup giant slalom races he has competed in since the start of the 2021/22 season, reaching the podium in the other five.
"He's the strongest for probably two years or maybe more," Schwarz admitted. "I'm trying my best and maybe I will catch him one day."
That day wasn't Monday, but it was an improvement for Schwarz, who skied the same tough schedule as Odermatt this week and defied fatigue to finish strongly in the second run and move up from third to second.
"Pretty happy about my second run, it was much better than yesterday," Schwarz said, referencing his fade out and fourth-place finish on Sunday.
"Odi was probably unbeatable today but it was a good fight."
If anyone were to top Odermatt on Monday, it seemed likely to be Zubcic, whose charging second run on Sunday almost gave him victory.
But the Croatian found himself on the wrong side of the aggression-control line in Monday's second run and dropped from second to fourth, handing third spot to Kranjec for the second consecutive day.
"Two days in a row on the podium is really good," Kranjec said. "It's hard to believe to have a better two days of racing than it was yesterday and today."
For mere mortals, perhaps, but not for Odermatt, whose back-to-back wins capped a hectic week in which he also finished third in both downhill and super-G in Val Gardena on Thursday and Friday.
"I was able to manage the energy level quite well during these days and like this it was possible to win here twice," said Odermatt, who has now won four times in his career on the Gran Risa.
The World Cup overall leader admitted that fatigue would likely set in once the adrenaline subsided following Monday's win, but he has the perfect remedy for it as Christmas approaches.
"Finally back home, the only break of the season," he said.
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