Five days after his descent title, the Swiss became world champion of giant slalom on Friday in Courchevel. First Frenchman, Alexis Pinturault finished seventh.
by Nicolas Lepeltier (Courchevel, Savoie, Special Envoy)
True to Swiss watch excellence, Marco Odermatt once again showed unfailing reliability, Friday, February 17 in Courchevel. Five days after the gold downhill, the Swiss skier was crowned world champion of giant slalom, in front of his compatriot Loïc Meillard (silver medalist at 32 hundredths) and the Austrian Marco Schwarz (bronze medal at 40 hundredths) . First French, Alexis Pinturault finished seventh in the race, after a beautiful second round; World champion in the title of giant, Mathieu Faivre, in a messenger since the start of the season, ends at a distant 19
The Nidwald champion, a canton in the heart of the Swiss Confederation, was played with the traps of the Eclipse. Caution during the first round, just guilty of a slight fault on a very demanding icy track, Marco Odermatt made his technique speak on the second route, drawn between shadow and light by the Swiss coach. In addition to being effective, its gentle snow touch is absolute aesthetics.
“Odermatt is the Federer of skiing, he can do things that others do not do. There have been machines in the past in our sport but he is an artist, c ‘ is a genius “, had praised French descendants Johan Clarey, after the Masterclass of the Swiss on January 12, during the descent of the Worlds: Odermatt had won the gold – his first victory in the discipline – after a race close to the chief – of work.
Difficult to prove the veteran (42 years old) to the French team, Olympic vice-champion in Beijing. His disappointment during the Super-G quickly forgotten in the first week (fourth), Marco Odermatt came to seek in Savoy, with his two world champion titles, which was missing from his immense prize list.
“The New alpine skiing star “
At only 25 years old, the Swiss at the 19 World Cup victories also has in his trophy cabinet an Olympic gold medal by giant in Beijing -despite halftone games -, and a big globe in the ranking General of the World Cup, won in 2022 hands down in front of the Norwegian Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. We do not see well, with more than 300 points ahead, which could prevent him from raising another during the finals of balance (Andorra) in March.
“Odermatt is the new star of alpine skiing. We have it for a decade, admires Fabien Saguez, the president of the French Ski Federation, who adds that the Swiss never stops progressing. is already almost untouchable as a giant. “With this new victory,” Odi “, winner of four of the five giants he has played this season, ensures his domination over his favorite discipline.
For Luc Alphand, “it is the prototype of the skier who skies with his brain”. “He has matured, he is mentally very strong in addition to being naturally very fast. If he has no physical problems, he will stack the victories,” observes the winner of the big globe in 1997, consultant on these Worlds for France Télévisions.
World skiing seems to have taken a subscription with the Nidwaldien. Unless injury, Marco Odermatt could mark his sport as the Austrian Marcel Hirscher did it in the 2020s (eight large consecutive globes). In the meantime, the Swiss, still smiling, in victory as in defeat, is already unanimous on the circuit. Sacred twice in Courchevel, here he was dubbed new king of alpine skiing.