Marco Odermatt continued his 2022-2023 winter season in the best possible way today, winning the second Men's Giant Slalom in Val d'Isère and proving he is in a league of his own. On an extremely demanding slope (22 out of 67 skiers DNF the race), he set the fastest time in both runs, beating Manuel Feller by 1.40 seconds and Zan Kranjec by +2.05 seconds.
On the "Face de Bellevarde", where Odermatt had already won last season, the 25-year-old remained untouchable leading him to his 14th World Cup victory.
"It was a big fight again, I gave it everything. I took the risk again in the second run. The snow was so much better than in the first run. It allowed me to keep pushing. It's probably one of my best races ever, so it's a great victory here", said Odermatt.
He finished on the podium in the last ten World Cup Giant Slalom events: 7 wins (Sölden, Val d'Isère, Alta Badia, Adelboden, Meribel-Courchevel, and this season in Sölden and now Val d'Isère), 2 second places (Alta Badia and Kranjska Gora) and 1 third place (Kranjska Gora).
He is the sixth male skier to reach the podium in 10 successive Giant Slalom events held in the men's World Cup, after Ingemar Stenmark (22, 1977-1980 and 10, 1980-1981), Marcel Hirscher (18, 2016-2018), Phil Mahre (10, 1981-1982), Alberto Tomba (10, 1990-1992), and Ted Ligety (10, 2012-2013).
Marco Odermatt has finished on the podium in all six World Cup races this season.
After today's race Marco Odermatt extended his lead in the overall World Cup to 140 points.
Manuel Feller finished in second place +1.40 seconds behind Odermatt. It's the second time the 30-year-old Tyrolean finished on the podium in Val d'Isère after his third place in the Giant Salom last season.
"I am happy with my second place. But the gap is just too big. The second run wasn't as good as the first. Hats off to Odermatt. I'm looking forward to the slalom, I feel very safe there”, said Feller.
It is his 16th World Cup podium and his fifth in the Giant Slalom.
Zan Kranjec rounded out the podium in third place (+2.05). It's his 10th podium in the World Cup.
After finishing in in 11th place the first run, the Slovenian set the second best time in the second run to climbed to the podium.
"The first run I didn't ski on the limit, especially in the middle part — I turned too much, I didn't let the ski go. So I know what I need to do in the second run but I didn't know that it would be enough for the podium", Kranjec said.
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