Olympic champion Marco Odermatt emerged victorious in a thrilling season-opening men’s World Cup giant slalom held in SÖLDEN, Austria, on November 5, 2023. Facing stiff competition from local favorite Marco Schwarz, Odermatt secured the win by a narrow margin of 0.24 seconds, building on a slim first-run lead of just 0.01 seconds.
The race saw a weather-related delay for the final run, but Odermatt’s skill shone through as he recorded his 46th career victory and 27th in giant slalom. Schwarz, who has battled injuries over the past two years, marked his return to the podium with a commendable second-place finish. Norway’s Atle Lie McGrath completed the podium in third, finishing just 0.03 seconds behind Schwarz.
“Conditions were tough for everyone with the visibility and snowfall, but the course workers did an excellent job, and I performed well,” said Odermatt after the race. The second run commenced after an hour-long interruption, necessitated by increased snowfall that required course adjustments. Despite initial low visibility, the conditions improved enough to allow for a fair competition.
The start of the second run was delayed twice by 30 minutes, but organizers ultimately proceeded as weather conditions stabilized. “They handled it well; it was a fair second run,” Odermatt added. “I enjoy these conditions where you need to fight.”
Schwarz’s teammate Stefan Brennsteiner performed strongly, finishing third after the initial run but ultimately fell to fourth place after the second. Odermatt praised the performance of the Austrian team, particularly highlighting Schwarz’s resilience. “It was a very strong performance from the Austrians, especially from ‘Blacky,’ who is definitely back,” he said. Schwarz’s performance follows a successful day for Austria, which saw Julia Scheib win the women’s race the previous day.
Two years ago, Odermatt and Schwarz were engaged in a fierce battle for the overall standings before injuries sidelined Schwarz. Following a knee injury that ended his season early, Odermatt went on to win the overall championship. He has claimed the giant slalom title for the past four seasons but faced challenges in last year’s opening race, where he skied out.
This season’s opener saw the absence of last year’s winner, Aleksander Steen Olsen, who is recovering from a knee injury. Brazilian skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen faced difficulties, skiing out midway through his first run. “It’s a fine balance between intensity, control, and precision; I miscalculated that today,” he remarked, as he aims for Brazil’s first World Cup victory in Alpine skiing.
The competition was marked by challenging conditions, including strong winds that necessitated a lower start gate, resulting in shorter run times for the top athletes. Raphael Haaser, the world champion, finished sixth, while former overall champion Alexis Pinturault placed 18th in his first race since January, finishing 1.64 seconds behind the leader.
Only River Radamus from the United States managed to qualify for the second run, finishing in 21st place, 1.89 seconds behind Odermatt. The men’s World Cup circuit continues with a slalom event in Levi, Finland, scheduled for November 16, 2023.
