Swiss skier Odermatt leads GS, closes in on points record

Sat, Mar 18, 2023
Other News (AP)

SOLDEU, Andorra (AP) - Olympic champion Marco Odermatt took a big lead in the opening run of the last men's World Cup giant slalom of the season Saturday and closed in on the men's record for most points in a single season.

If Odermatt finishes the race in the top three, he will pass the all-time best mark of 2,000 points set by Austrian great Hermann Maier 23 years ago.

Odermatt has not finished worse than third in his last 16 giant slalom starts.

Theoretically, the Swiss standout would have another chance in Sunday's season-ending slalom, but he has never raced in that event on World Cup level.

The overall record, between men and women, is held by Slovenian standout Tina Maze, who accrued 2,414 points when she won the women's overall title in 2013.

On a course set by Swiss coach Johannes Hassler, Odermatt was 1.09 seconds faster than French skier Alexis Pinturault. Norwegians Alexander Steen Olsen and Lucas Braathen were third and fourth, respectively.

The second run was scheduled for later Saturday.

Odermatt has won 12 World Cup races this season as he successfully defended his overall title. He also secured the super-G and GS discipline globes.

No male skier has ever won more than 13 races in one season. The overall record here is held by Mikaela Shiffrin, who won 17 times on her way to the 2018/19 women's overall title.

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