Odermatt Wins Fifth Consecutive Adelboden GS
Marco Odermatt stormed to his fifth consecutive victory on the Chuenisbärgli course in Adelboden Saturday, matching the legendary Ingemar Stenmark's record for most consecutive wins at the iconic Swiss giant slalom race.
The Chuenisbärgli course features signature rolling terrain over summer cow pastures, with skiers cresting a rise before plunging down the steep final slope into a finish area typically packed with 25,000 enthusiastic fans wielding cowbells. Despite the subdued atmosphere following the Crans-Montana tragedy, the crowd still provided vocal support for their local hero.
The Olympic giant slalom champion dominated in challenging conditions, racing through heavy snowfall and difficult visibility to finish 0.49 seconds ahead of Lucas Pinheiro Braathen of Brazil. Leo Anguenot of France claimed third place, 0.68 seconds behind the Swiss star.
Odermatt was impeccable in both of his runs, taking the lead in the first run despite a minor error near the finish line that cost him about two-tenths of a second. He then posted the third-fastest time in the second run to seal his 51st career World Cup victory and 29th in giant slalom.
The win came in a more somber atmosphere than usual. The race began with a moment of silence for the victims of the New Year's Eve fire at a bar in nearby Crans-Montana that killed 40 people and injured 116. Swiss competitors wore black armbands, and Friday's traditional festivities were cancelled as a mark of respect.
"Despite the tragedy that has shaken us all, the baker must bake his bread, and we skiers must ski. With respect. But it is up to us to continue celebrating the beauties of life," Odermatt had said Thursday.
The 28-year-old's winning streak at Adelboden now stretches back to January 2022, equaling Stenmark's four consecutive victories from 1979 through 1982. The Adelboden giant slalom has been a fixture on the World Cup calendar since the first week of racing in January 1967, when Jean-Claude Killy took the inaugural win.
Odermatt credited the passionate home crowd for pushing him to excellence. "I think that's the secret, everyone here, they really made me push harder," he said. "This energy, this extra pressure and motivation helps me to ski fast."
The victory also propelled Odermatt to the top of the giant slalom standings, surpassing Austria's Stefan Brennsteiner, who skied out midway through his second run. Odermatt's closest rival in the overall standings, Austria's Marco Schwarz, also had an unlucky day, falling on the steep bottom section of the course during his second attempt after sitting in sixth place following the first run.
Pinheiro Braathen led the applause in the finish area after watching Odermatt's run, praising the Swiss star to local broadcaster RTS. The Brazilian had pushed Odermatt during the second run, skiing at his limit to match the defending champion's time on the challenging course.
With Odermatt already holding a commanding lead of more than 400 points in the overall World Cup standings, Saturday's performance provides perfect preparation for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, which begin in less than a month
Only five racers finished within a second of Odermatt's first-run time, underscoring his dominance on a snow surface he described as not easy to navigate. The conditions improved slightly for the second run, though overcast skies and continued snowfall maintained the technical challenge.
As the afternoon light faded and snow continued to blanket the Bernese Oberland, the second run became a war of attrition. Several of Odermatt’s primary rivals, including Austrian stars Marco Schwarz and Stefan Brennsteiner, fell victim to the icy, rutted surface and failed to finish.
While Odermatt took the headlines, the most dramatic move of the day came from American River Radamus. After a disastrous first run that saw him barely qualify in 30th place, Radamus took advantage of a clean course as the first skier out in the second run.
Posting the fastest second-run time by nearly a full second, Radamus leaped 23 positions to finish 7th overall, marking his fourth consecutive top-10 result in the discipline.
Next up for Odermatt and his rivals is another classic stop on the calendar at Wengen, where the Super-G on the famed Lauberhorn course takes place Friday.
