Odermatt has Maier in his sights thanks to the Super-G victory

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There were times when Marco Odermatt suffered under Hermann Maier. Why? Odermatt’s ingenious strength and conditioning trainer Kurt Kothbauer took care of the Austrian superstar in the 1990s. “During the training sessions, he repeatedly measured me against the big Maier, which was not always fun for me, especially on the ergometer. When I finished cycling with 150 watts, Kurti reminded me that Hermann had mastered it with 300 watts,” says the man from Nidwalden. Born in Upper Austria, Kothbauer is proud that Odermatt now shares the same strong values in stamina and strength as the “Herminator” in its heyday.

“I will celebrate at full speed for the giant slalom”

And in the last World Cup Super-G of this season, the two-time World Cup winner from Buochs ​​takes a huge step towards Maier’s points record from the 1999/2000 season: Odermatt achieved his 23rd World Cup victory in Soldeu in grandiose fashion and thus has 1942 points overall World Cup. With a third place in the giant slalom on Saturday, the 25-year-old would break the 2000 mark set by the now 50-year-old from Salzburg.

Odermatt downplays the importance of this record. “With 12 wins this season, the two gold medals at the World Championships and winning the major and minor Super-G and giant slalom bullets, I have already achieved everything I wanted for this season. That’s why I fully celebrate for the giant. Then if I break Maier’s record, that’s great. If not, it’s not a problem for me.”

The Herminator’s response

And what does Hermann Maier say? “I wasn’t aiming for 2,000 points 23 years ago, it just happened. But now, thanks to Marco Odermatt, I really realize what this brand means – you have to win just about anything for it.”

Maier adds on his personal website “hm1.com”: “Which doesn’t really matter later in life – but opportunities to have such experiences should just be used. As far as I’m concerned, Marco hasn’t reached his peak yet, certainly not in the descent.”

Maier (54 World Cup victories, two-time Olympic champion and world champion) would have wished the Swiss “that at the end of the season, like me in 2000, the points and the year match exactly”. But this wish will certainly not come true.

If Odermatt wins the giant slalom, he will increase the record to 2042 points, with second place he has 2022 points, third place with 2002. But what if Odermatt finishes fourth on Saturday and has “only” 1992 points? Would he then strap on the slalom skis on Sunday? Marco’s trainer Helmut Krug shakes his head: “The slalom is certainly not a problem for Marco. After this strenuous season, the risk of injury in such an experiment would be too great.”

Source : Blick