Featured Image: Marco Odermatt competing at World Cup Finals. CreditL GEPA
Today, the final giant slalom race of the season is here! In Saalbach, Austria, 23 men prepared for an exhilarating day of racing at the World Cup Finals, which would mark the end of the 2024 GS competition.
This season, the Swiss superstar, Marco Odermatt, has built an uncatchable lead in the World Cup Standings for the giant slalom title by winning all nine GS races this winter. With 900 points, he has a 530-point lead over the field.
If Marco Odermatt wins this race, he will make history by becoming the third alpine skier and first male racer to claim more than 13 World Cup victories in a single season, after Mikaela Shiffrin (17 in 2018/19 and 14 in 2022/23) and Vreni Schneider (14 in 1988/89).
It was spring-like conditions in Saalbach, Austria. With the salt barely setting before the athletes took on the track, the snow conditions were subpar, so the racers needed to ski strategically.
Loic Meillard kicked off the World Cup Finals, setting the pace down the extensive giant slalom course. However, he did not hold the lead for long as his teammate, Odermatt, came down second and established his lead by -0.40.
Although Odermatt has secured the GS title, he did not hold back. He skied efficiently through every turn and attacked from top to bottom. He lost a little speed on the second section but continued to generate speed through the bottom. He unveiled his continued domination in the discipline, setting up a significant lead heading into the second run.
After Meillard and Odermatt came down, the time gaps became substantial as the conditions worsened. However, Alexander Steen Olsen of Norway, racing bib-7, skied through the adversities and pushed himself, maintaining consistent pressure through each turn. He came through in 3rd-place position (+1.39).
Filip Zubcic of Croatia is second in World Cup Standings coming into the Finals. Demonstrating high energy levels, he navigated the challenging sections of the track with precision. Despite his impressive performance, he trailed Odermatt by +1.61 seconds going into the second run. Zubcic will need to give his all to narrow the gap with the Swiss competitor.
The terrain and flat light continued to heighten the challenge for the later athletes, which made the time difference between the top two racers and the rest of the field significant. This will make for an interesting second run, as the men will have to push themselves to close the gap.
North American
Stifel US Ski Team racer, River Radamus skied effectively through the top section of the course, however through the final pitch he let off, which cost him time. The time that he lost through the final sections brought him through the finish off the lead by 2.84
Reigning Junior World Champion, Ryder Sarchett, kicked out of his inaugural World Cup start today. Due to his victory at Junior Worlds he earned himself a spot in World Cup Finals and he took advantage of his debut.
He was giving it his all throughout the course, attacking each section. However, he leaned in in the middle part of the course and lost some time heading into the final gates. He concluded first run +6.28 behind Odermatt, but will start first with a fresh track on the second run.
The second run will be at 12:00 CET! Tune in to see the men fight in the final GS run of the 2024 season.
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About the Author: Ellie Hartman
