class=”sc-cffd1e67-0 iQNQmc”>
It is a remarkable statement that Marco Odermatt made in Aspen in an interview with ORF: “Sometimes I would be happy if these series and long-term statistics did not exist at all. Then I could participate in a competition again in a more relaxed way.”
On this North American tour, it is mainly the giant slalom series of World Cup record winner Ingemar Stenmark (67) that keeps the pressure on the central Swiss, despite winning the large overall World Cup ball and the small giant crystal early – the Swede has won between 14 giant slaloms in a row in 1978 and 1980. Odermatt won his eleventh World Cup in a row on Friday in the chic ski resort of Colorado.
Second Swiss double victory within 24 hours
However, halfway through Aspen’s second giant slalom, this winning streak is in danger of coming to an end. Odermatt is in third place with a mortgage of three tenths behind the Norwegian mega talent Alexander Steen Olsen and his teammate Loïc Meillard. Austrian slalom legend and ORF expert Thomas Sykora is certain “that Odermatt is vulnerable in this race. Chasing the Stenmark record really seems to make him more nervous.
In fact, the 26-year-old made a big mistake after scoring a pair of goals in the second run, and Odermatt could only avert a loss by a hair’s breadth! Nevertheless, the superstar from Lake Lucerne finished with a time that Loïc Meillard missed by 34 hundredths. And because leader Steen Olsen makes a big mistake and drops to 17th place, there is a Swiss double victory just like 24 hours before – Odermatt for Meillard. “It’s unbelievable, I saw myself out after just a few goals. “But I kept fighting and, incredibly, it was enough,” the bully summarizes.
The comparison with MvG
Odermatt is now two wins away from Stenmark’s massive record, but he has already equaled Mike von Grünigen’s Swiss record with his 23rd World Cup giant slalom win. Beni Matti, former Stöckli race director, knows exactly what “Odi” and “MvG” have in common. “During my time as a racing driver I occasionally shared a room with Mike and in recent years I have worked intensively with Marco at Stöckli. Like Mike, Odi has the rare gift of being able to give those in charge at the ski company precise feedback on what needs to be changed on a ski. He has done us an enormous service in the further development of the skis.”
The hunt for records continues
After his 37th World Cup victory, everything indicates that all-rounder Odermatt will break further records in the final in Saalbach. Last winter, Odermatt achieved thirteen World Cup victories, tied with Hermann Maier, Marcel Hirscher and Stenmark. This season, the three-time Swiss Athlete of the Year already has thirteen victories to his name and because he will compete in four more races, this men’s record will soon belong to him alone.
Odermatt will most likely deprive the record leader in the overall World Cup from the “Herminator”. In the 2000/01 season, the Austrian secured the big ball with 743 points ahead of his compatriot Stephan Eberharter. Odermatt’s lead over second-placed Austrian Manuel Feller currently stands at 1001 points. And with an interim total of 1,902 points, you can bet big money that Odermatt will also break his own World Cup points record (2,042) on March 24.
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
