Dominating Giant Slalom: Marco Odermatt Aims for Third Consecutive Victory in Adelboden

2024-01-04 19:34:00

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Marco Odermatt is currently untouchable in the giant slalom. In Adelboden, the man from Nidwalden is aiming for his third win in a row.

On Saturday, the World Cup classic is on the program in Adelboden with the giant slalom. All eyes will of course be on dominator Marco Odermatt. The 26-year-old can complete the hat trick at Chuenisbärgli.

I more or less don’t care about the hat trick.

Only the Austrian Hermann Maier (1998, 1999 and 2001 – the race was canceled in 2000) and Ingemar Stenmark managed to win three Adelboden giant slaloms in a row. The Swede even triumphed four times in a row in Adelboden between 1979 and 1982.

“The hat trick doesn’t matter to me more or less. It would trigger the same amount as a ‘normal’ victory. Every time you are in Abelboden you want to win. That’s why I’m very motivated,” he said before the race.

Anyone who bets on Odermatt winning would probably only earn a little money. He is too deliberate and too consistent in his favorite discipline:

The man from Nidwalden won all three giant slaloms of the season – some with a big lead.
He has triumphed in the last 7 giant slaloms across all seasons – including World Cup gold in Andorra.
Of the last 15 giant slaloms, he only failed to finish first in three – he skipped the race in Schladming last January.

“Everything has been falling into place for a while now,” says Odermatt. And yet every race writes its own story. The expected difficult conditions with lots of snow in particular pose a number of question marks for the Swiss team leader. “In addition, every race is a snapshot. “It can change quickly,” he warns.

No special preparation – no training in Adelboden

As a two-time Adelboden winner, he will tackle this year’s race no differently than usual: “I didn’t train here, I was in Bormio. That’s why I couldn’t find out anything new.” For him, it’s all about inspecting the runs, testing the snow and finding the right setup.