In unseasonably warm weather, Marco Odermatt added another win in Giant Slalom to his impressive streak at the World Cup, held in his home nation of Adelboden, Switzerland. Odermatt, who won gold at the Beijing Olympics last February, extended his first-run lead and finished 0.73 seconds ahead of Henrik Kristoffersen, with his teammate Loïc Meillard 1.66 back in third.
The impressive performance puts Odermatt firmly in the lead in the World Cup overall standings, and marks his 17th career win in the World Cup, and his 11th in Giant Slalom. The finish line of the iconic Chuenisbärgli course saw 20,000 spectators cheering and applauding the home favorite.
The ski event was almost miraculous, given the warm and snow-free winter weather in central Europe. Racers skied on a white ribbon of artificial snow, lined by lush green fields. The temperature rose from just above freezing for the first run to about 7 Celsius (45 Fahrenheit) for the second run. This is yet another win for Odermatt, further solidifying his impressive streak.
