Marco Odermatt wins today the second Giant Salom held in Kranjska Gora. It's his 22nd World Cup win. He finished 0.32 seconds ahead of Henrik Kristoffersen. Alexis Pinturault rounded out the podium in third place +0.70 seconds behind Odermatt.
Odermatt has competed in eight Men's Giant Slalom World Cup events this season and won six of these. He finished third in Alta Badia (18 December) and second today in Palisade Tahoe (26 February).
The 25-year-old Swiss skier has reached the podium in each of the last 16 men's World Cup Giant Slalom events in which he started. Only Ingemar Stenmark (37, 1977-1981), and Marcel Hirscher (18, 2016-2018), has claimed more succesive podiums than Odermatt.
Marco Odermatt clinched his 11th win of the season in Kranjska Gora. He is the fourth skier after Hermann Maier, Stephan Eberharter, and Marcel Hirscher to have double-digit victories in a single season this century.
With today's win, and only one race to go, Marco Odermatt has secured the Giant Slalom Crystal Globe. Odermatt also picked up the Giant Slalom Crystal Globe last season becoming the first Swiss man to do so since Didier Cuche in 2008-2009. The last Swiss man to claim the Giant Slalom globe in successive seasons was Michael von Grünigen in 1995-1996, and 1996-1997.
Marco Odermatt is the third man to win the Overall, Super-G and Giant Slalom Crystal Globes in the same season, after Pirmin Zurbriggen (1986-1987), and Hermann Maier (1997-1998, 1999-2000, and 2000-2001).
Marco Odermatt is the absolute dominator of the discipline. He is the reigning Olympic Champion, World Champion, and Crystal Globe winner in the Men's Giant Slalom.
Odermatt now has 1826 points in the Overall standings. He is 174 points short of the record set by Hermann Maier in the 1999-2000 season.
"It’s a little bit different, I guess – last year I was way more nervous. This weekend was a little more calm, I already had a globe at home, and had a little advantage with the points, so it was a bit more relaxed. Everything is perfect at the moment. If we are not talking about a perfect season now, then when will it be? Everything, really everything worked out perfectly. I have a perfect team behind me with all the coaches, my service guy – everybody who helps me. Without them, none of this would be possible", Odermatt said.
Henrik Kristoffersen finished in second place 0.32 seconds behind Odermatt after setting the best time in the second run. The Norwegian finished on the podium in six of the nine Men's Giant Slalom World Cup events this season, third in Sölden, second three times in Alta Badia, Adelboden, and Kranjska Gora, and third in Kranska Gora yesterday.
Kristoffersen has claimed 13 podium finishes in World Cup events in Kranjska Gora. Today's second place marks his 81st podium in the Word Cup.
"He's just a little bit better at the moment but it's getting tighter and tighter. We continue to work, the flow wasn't there this year. If we take the last step, it will be quite funny for the viewers next year", Kristoffersen said.
After finishing yesterday in second place, Alexis Pinturault claims today his second podium of the season in Giant Slalom. It's his 77 podium in the World Cup.
"I’ve been feeling better for the last few weeks and races. It wasn’t enough for the victories, but now it feels like I’m in the right way to fight for podiums, maybe not still for victories, but we are moving closer", Pinturault said.