Odermatt completes dominant super-G double at Cortina d’Ampezzo
Marco Odermatt proved that he is in a class of his own as he completed a memorable super-G double at Cortina d’Ampezzo, while Johannes Lamparter secured a historic TRIPLE win in Seefield and Anri Kawamura won her third straight freestyle skiing moguls World Cup event.
Swiss sensation Odermatt was simply untouchable throughout the weekend in Italy, showing no sign of the injury that caused him to miss the giant slalom in Schladming.
In the first ever men’s super-G race on the famous Olympia delle Tofane track, Odermatt produced a typically skilful and powerful run to claim victory. Sunday then saw him deliver an error-free performance to finish well ahead of Italy’s Dominik Paris.
It was Odermatt’s fourth super-G victory of the season and moved him 148 points clear at the top of the standings. The Swiss star also leads the overall standings and is placed third overall in the downhill.
Speaking after Sunday’s victory, the 25-year-old said: “For sure it was the perfect race for me again. The confidence helps, and after yesterday the confidence was very big again. I know the knee is good. My set-up fits perfectly for these conditions, and I really inspected the course clearly. I repeated it again and again. Then, I just tried to ski my plan.”
Elsewhere over the weekend, Lamparter created history as he became the first Austrian to win the Nordic Combined Triple in Seefeld, Austria.
Competing on home snow, Lamparter finished second on Friday before securing victory on the second day of action after winning both the ski jumping and cross-country skiing disciplines.
On the third and final day of action on Sunday, the 21-year-old once again jumped the furthest distance with 108.5m before claiming victory in the 12.5km cross-country race to take the lead in the Overall World Cup.
Over in Canada, Japan’s Kawamura made it two wins in two days when she defeated Perrine Laffont of France in Saturday’s women’s final of the dual moguls to claim her sixth career title.
Kawamura, 18, said: “My desire to win was especially strong so I’m really happy. I could concentrate on my skiing and it was really good.”
Earlier in the week, Frenchman Clément Noël banked a respectable first run at the iconic Schladming night slalom to lie seventh behind the in-form Norwegian leader Henrik Kristoffersen.
The Norwegian had won four times on the hill before in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2020 with Swiss rival Meillard third after the first run in front of an enthusiastic crowd of more than 40,000.
Noël then put in a brilliant charge with Meillard unable to better him as Kristoffersen made a mistake to leave the French skier with his first season win. Meillard took fifth, Kristoffersen 11th and Italian Alex Vinatzer 27th as France’s Alexis Pinturault failed to qualify.
Noël said: “Maybe this is the best race of the season. I am very, very happy. And so many people here. That feels amazing, especially here in Schladming. It’s always incredible here in Schladming.”
Braathen now leads compatriot Kristoffersen by 41 points in the 2022/23 FIS World Cup slalom standings with Meillard fourth 123 points behind the leader, Noël up to seventh and Pinturault 15th.
In Thursday’s night giant slalom, Meillard was the best skier after a first run conducted in foggy and icy conditions, with Swiss Gino Caviezel second, Kristoffersen third and Pinturault sixth as Vinatzer failed to qualify.
Even though Austrian Marco Schwarz put down an excellent second run to finish on the podium, Meillard held on to pick up his first season victory with Kristoffersen fifth and Pinturault seventh.
Header image: Marco Odermatt. Credit: Erich Spiess / Red Bull Content Pool
