Olympic gold medalist Marco Odermatt triumphed over local favorite Marco Schwarz in the season-opening men’s World Cup giant slalom held in Sölden, Austria. Despite adverse weather conditions causing delays, Odermatt extended his narrow lead from the first run by 0.24 seconds to claim victory in a time of one minute 56.03 seconds, marking his 46th career win and 27th in giant slalom. Schwarz, making a comeback after a series of injuries, secured his first podium finish in nearly two years. Norwegian skier Atle Lie McGrath finished third, just 0.03 seconds behind Schwarz.
The second run was postponed due to heavy snowfall, which required course workers to clear the race line between runs. Poor visibility and challenging slope conditions added to the difficulty for the racers, who can reach speeds of up to 75 kilometers per hour. After subsequent delays, the race proceeded, with Odermatt expressing satisfaction with the tough conditions that required a strong effort to navigate.
Schwarz’s teammate Stefan Brennsteiner initially held third place after the first run but slipped to fourth in the final standings. Odermatt praised the strong performance of the Austrian team, particularly Schwarz, who narrowly missed clinching a victory for Austria following Julia Scheib’s win in the women’s event the previous day.
Canadian skiers Calgary’s Erik Read and William St-Germain faced mixed results, with Read finishing 37th and St-Germain placing 60th in the opening run. Reflecting on past seasons, Odermatt and Schwarz had a memorable battle in the overall standings, with injuries impacting Schwarz’s performance in previous competitions.
Despite his consistent success in giant slalom events, Odermatt faced challenges in the previous season, where he failed to finish the opening race due to a Norwegian sweep of the podium. Defending champion Aleksander Steen Olsen was absent from the race due to a lingering knee injury, while Brazilian skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen experienced a setback, skiing out of the course mid-run.
The event saw World champion Raphael Haaser secure a sixth-place finish, while former overall champion Alexis Pinturault placed 18th in his first race since January. American skier River Radamus was the lone American qualifier for the second run, finishing 21st, with high winds necessitating a lower start gate and shorter run times for top racers.
The men’s World Cup season will continue with a slalom event in Levi, Finland, on November 16. Fans can watch the action live on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem by checking the CBC Sports broadcast schedule for further details.