In another demostration, Marco Odermatt wins by more than two seconds the last Giant Slalom of the season in Soldeu. It's his 24th World Cup win and 51st podium.
The 25-year-old Swiss 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 has competed in nine Men's Giant Slalom World Cup events this season and won seven of these. He finished third in Alta Badia (18 December) and second in Palisade Tahoe (26 February). Only Ingmar Stenmark (10 in 1978-1979) has won more Giant Slalom races in a single season.
Since December 7, 2020 in Santa Caterina Odermatt has won 14 Giant Slalom events in the World Cup. Among Swiss men, only von Michael von Grünigen (23) won more men's giant slalom World Cup events than Odermatt (14).
Marco Odermatt had secured the Giant Slalom Crystal Globe in Kranjska Gora. 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.
He has won 13 World Cup events this season. Only three men had also won 13 races in a single season: Ingemar Stenmark in 1978-1979 (13), Hermann Maier in 2000-2001 (13) and Marcel Hirscher in 2017-2018 (13).
Marco Odermatt has 2,042 points in this season's Overall World Cup standings, a new record after overcoming the previous record set by Hermann Maier in 1999-2000 (2000 points).
Tina Maze, 2,414 in 2012-2013, and Mikaela Shiffrin, 2,204 in 2018-2019, are the only women to have claimed more than 2,000 points in a season.
“I have no idea how I won, I was so tired. We partied hard on Thursday. Today wasn’t easy because of those damn 2,000 points. I really wanted the podium today. So, another victory, two seconds ahead, I don’t know what to say. It means a lot. The past days I said it was not so important, just numbers. The important things are Globes, but now I felt the pressure today. So I knew it was more important than I said, so I am happy I got it", Odermatt said.
Henrik Kristoffersen finished in second place 2.11 seconds behind Odermatt. Kristoffersen has finished on the podium of a Giant Slalom event seven times this season, but never on the highest step (5 second places and 2 third places).
"Of course, I would have liked a win in Giant Slalom, it is a little bit of a shame with all the second places. It was five or something. I don't know. Seven podiums in GS is still good but we need to take this last step. So when we are second, we need to be first. If we take this last step maybe we can challenge for the globe", Kristoffersen said.
Marco Schwarz rounded out the podium in third place 2.29 behind the Swiss. Schwarz finished in eleventh place after the first run, but with the third-best time in the second run, he catapulted himself onto the podium. It's his third podium in Giant Slalom this season after his third place in Schladming and the maiden GS win in Palisades Tahoe.
"I felt more comfortable in the second run. Third place today is really good. I was lucky with the visibility. I am pretty happy with the whole season. We worked hard and the big thing was my first victory in GS in Palisades so I am really happy with the season", said Schwarz.
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