Odermatt delivers his 7th 2023 GS victory

Marco Odermatt. Photo: GEPA pictures

SOLDEU, Andorra — Marco Odermatt broke the 23-year-old men’s record for most World Cup points in a single season Saturday after dominating the giant slalom at the World Cup Finals.

Switzerland’s Odermatt won the final GS race of the 2023 season by a massive 2.11 seconds over second-place Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway. Odermatt ran last but produced the second fastest final run.

Sharing the historic podium are second place Norwegian Kristoffersen and Austrian Marco Schwarz in third.

Alexander Steen Olsen who was third after the first run had difficulty on the finish pitch and did not finish. Also, a fan favorite, Alexis Pinturault, who was second after the first run, struggled to find speed in the softer snow and ended the day in eighth.

The overall record for most points in a season, for both genders, is held by Slovenian standout Tina Maze, who accrued 2,414 points when she won the women’s overall title in 2013.

Today’s victory lifted Odermatt’s season tally to 2,042 points and past the previous men’s mark of 2,000 set by Austrian great Hermann Maier in the 1999-2000 season.

“Sorry, Hermann,” Odermatt quipped in a post-race interview with Austrian TV, adding the record meant “a lot” to him.

“The past days I always said: no no, not so important, just numbers,” Odermatt said. “But like I felt today with the pressure again, I knew it was more important than I said. I’m very happy that it worked.”

Last week, Maier wrote on his website he hoped that Odermatt would overtake him.

“In my eyes Marco hasn’t even reached his zenith and can still improve, especially in downhill,” Maier said.

“Today it wasn’t easy, I was nervous again because of those damn 2,000 points,” Odermatt said. “Now with another victory, more than two seconds ahead, I don’t know what to say.”

Odermatt, who is the Olympic champion, matched another best mark with his 13th win of the season. No male skier has ever won more races in one campaign, and only Maier, Ingemar Stenmark and Marcel Hirscher achieved the feat in the past.

The overall record, however, is held by Mikaela Shiffrin, who won 17 times on her way to the 2018-19 women’s overall title.

Odermatt had already successfully defended his overall title and secured the super-G and GS discipline globes. This season’s GS title podium is Odermatt, Kristoffersen and Slovenia’s Zan Kranjec who finished his final race of the season tied for 11th.

“I was looking forward to finals without pressure, but today I felt this pressure again,” he said. “Today it wasn’t easy, I was nervous again because of those damn 2,000 points. Now with another victory, more than two seconds ahead, I don’t know what to say.”

Kristoffersen ranked only eighth after the opening leg before climbing to the second position. Marco Schwarz of Austria finished (+2.29) behind in third.

While the FIS produced the best possible racing surface the temperatures were well above freezing and the course disintegrated. The best ran with the last start numbers for the second run and were still among the fastest.

Season top 10 men’s GS standings

Uniquely the only Andorran in the race Joan Verdu was able to sit in the second run leader’s chair. It only lasted one racer but an Adorran in a World Cup leader’s chair in Andorra is a World Cup oddity. Verdu finished the day in 15th place and was the final racer to earn World Cup points.

The only North American to finish the race was Stifel US Alpine Team member Tommy Ford. Unfortunately, he finished 18th and could not score World Cup points. It was Ford’s first full season after a difficult injury and he admirably finished the season ranked 23rd in GS. He will return to his winning ways soon.

Race results and analysis of the fastest three and North Americans

Analysis of the fastest three and North Americans

The Associated Press contributed to this report.