Odermatt stays hot to break Swiss Cup record

LA VILLA, Italy — Marco Odermatt is back to his imperious best.

Odermatt followed up his first win in Val Gardena in Saturday's downhill by winning a World Cup giant slalom on Sunday, as he continued to dominate the Gran Risa to become Switzerland's most successful male skier.

It was Odermatt's 41st World Cup victory, putting the three-time defending overall champion one above Pirmin Zurbriggen for wins for the Swiss men's team. Vreni Schneider holds the overall record for her country with 55.

"This is crazy now," Odermatt said. "To be here, the best Swiss alpine skier ever ... Pirmin Zurbriggen is the biggest legend we have in Swiss skiing history, so this is a very special moment."

Odermatt was third fastest in a tricky first run in Alta Badia, but was much more aggressive in the second to make it back-to-back GS wins after a difficult start to the season.

"I think every run is different down here," Odermatt said. "Today, in the morning, it was very difficult with the changing conditions and insane run. I felt better already after the inspection. I saw that the ground was better, so I knew I could ski to my plan, I could attack, it's less dangerous."

Odermatt beat Leo Anguenot by 0.85 seconds. The Frenchman also had a strong second run to rise from ninth to clinch his first World Cup podium finish. Anguenot had never placed inside the top 10 before.

Alexander Steen Olsen was third, 0.88 seconds behind Odermatt and just ahead of first-run leader Filip Zubcic.

Olympic champion Odermatt has now won five of the past six GS races on the Gran Risa. Only Lucas Pinheiro Braathen has interrupted that streak.

However, Odermatt had appeared uncharacteristically beatable in his favorite discipline this year.

Odermatt won the first nine of 10 giant slalom races last season on his way to a third straight crystal globe in the discipline, as well as a third straight overall title.

But, the Swiss standout then failed to finish the final event in March and the first two races of the new season, before finally picking up his first GS points with a win in Val d'Isere the previous weekend.

The Gran Risa is already one of the toughest courses on the circuit, and it was made even more difficult by flat light, while there were also plenty of ruts and bumps on the course — although that was improved between the first and second run.

"I know that I'm strong in these conditions, when it's tough, when it's a fight, when you have to ski smart," Odermatt said.

Henrik Kristoffersen called it "dangerous" and "really bad" after the first run, adding: "maybe we shouldn't have skied today, that was my feeling".

Kristoffersen was fourth fastest after the first run, but dropped to ninth.

Odermatt moved a point above Kristoffersen into top spot in the GS standings and extended his lead in the overall standings to 121 points above the Norwegian.

Agencies via Xinhua