After failing to finish the first two Giant Slaloms in Sölden and Beaver Creek, Marco Odermatt achieved his first Alpine Ski World Cup Giant Slalom victory of the 2024-2025 winter season today in Val d'Isere. Odermatt has won the Giant Slalom at Val d’Isère for the past four seasons (2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024).
With 24 wins, Odermatt is tied with Ted Ligety for third place on the all-time list of men's World Cup Giant Slalom winners. Ingemar Stenmark (46) and Marcel Hirscher (31) are the top two.
"It's been a huge relief. If you lose three seconds or so in a second run, it can quickly happen that you're way behind somewhere. That's why luck was on my side," Odermatt said.
An Austrian duo completed the podium. Patrick Feurstein finished in second place, +0.08 seconds behind, and Stefan Brennsteiner took third, +0.12 seconds off the pace.
Patrick Feurstein, who finished the first run in 24th place, was ultimately defeated by Odermatt but claimed his first Alpine Ski World Cup podium. The 28-year-old benefited from the significantly worsening visibility for the skiers behind him.
"I still can't believe it. I knew that my run was really good, and that I could make up many places, but that I would land on the podium? I didn't imagine that. I'm out of words right now," Feurstein said.
"All the emotions broke out of me because I worked so hard all my life to get to this point. I've seen it in front of my eyes so many times, and that it's now a reality, it's unbelievable," he added.
Stefan Brennsteiner showed the best performance of the top skiers in the second run, jumping from fourth place to the podium. It's his fourth podium in the Giant Slalom in the World Cup for the 33-year-old skier from Salzburg.
"Being on the podium in Val d'Isere means a lot to me. It was a brutally difficult race, I had a difficult starting number twice, but the track was better than expected. I'm very happy," Brennsteiner said.
After today's fifth place, Henrik Kristoffersen is leading the overall, and the Giant Slalom standings.
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