Marco Odermatt continued today his 2021-2022 winter season in the best possible way, taking the second Men’s Giant Slalom in Val d'Isère and showing that he will be the man to beat this year in Giant Slalom. Odermatt was in a class of its own in Val d'Isère on an extremely demanding slope. He set the fastest time in the first run and was always in control of the situation in the second run.
The 24-year-old from Nidwalden is the first Swiss since Carlo Janka 2008 to win a Giant Slalom in Val d'Isère.
It is Odermatt’s 4th career Giant Slalom win and his 7th victory in the World Cup. He won the Giant Slalom in Sölden on 24 October and the super-G in Beaver Creek on 2 December.
Marco Odermatt has finished in the top-five in 13 of the last 14 Giant Slalom events in the World Cup.
The last man to win the first two Giant Slalom events of a World Cup season was Ted Ligety in 2013-2014 (Sölden and Beaver Creek).
"It's incredible. I don't know what to say. That is really a cool victory today. (after being in North America) I had probably the worst preparation ever for a race. The fact that I managed to ski like this makes me proud and speaks for my mentality”, said Odermatt.
Local Hero Alexis Pinturault finished in second place +0.59 seconds behind Odermaatt. Pinturault finished in the top-five in each of his last 13 World Cup appearances in the Giant Slalom, since 15th place in Naeba on 22 February 2020. He was fifth in the Opening Giant Slalom in Sölden.
Austrian Slalom specialist Manuel feller rounded out the podium in third place (+1.24). It's his second podium in Giant Slalom and his 9th in the World Cup. He finished in second place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in January 2018.
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