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Stanser Kean Mathis has been friends with Marco Odermatt since they went to school together in Hergiswil. After the last two major victories in Aspen, the three-time overall World Cup winner received a remarkable message via WhatsApp from his Nidwalden buddy: “Marco, you look like you’re leaving! I think you need a break.”
So it may not have been a bad thing that Odermatt was actually able to take a longer break than originally planned after returning from the US. The giant slalom in Kranjska Gora had to be canceled last week because there was not enough snow in Slovenia.
However, this cancellation caused mixed feelings among the Odermatt clan. On the one hand, coach Helmut Krug was happy that his athlete of the century could catch his breath for a few more days after the mammoth program of the past few weeks. «On the other hand, after the cancellation of Kranjska Gora, Marco can no longer equal the world record in giant slalom of 14 victories in a row this winter. And because there is no guarantee that he can maintain his excellent form until next winter, that is also a bit annoying,” said Krug.
The 45-year-old World Cup record is wavering
To date, Odermatt has won twelve World Cup Giant Slaloms in a row in all seasons. The world champion and Olympic champion could equal another Stenmark record on Saturday. The brilliant Swede won ten of the ten giant slaloms in the 1978/79 World Cup winter. Odermatt has won nine thousand so far this season. And almost everything indicates that Buochser will also triumph in the final giant slalom in Saalbach. Krug: “We have been training on the Reiteralm in Styria over the past few days. There we found optimal conditions, we were able to perfectly imitate the giant of Saalbach.”
The fact that his coach was chosen to set the course for the first round also speaks in Odermatt’s favor. And one more thing: the giant slalom track in Saalbach is one of the longest in the World Cup circus. And Odermatt’s endurance and strength are as great as his skiing technique. But Petrus could become the most dangerous opponent: the meteorologists predict a lot of rain in Saalbach on Saturday morning.
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.
