Giant slalom in Adelboden: Marco Odermatt wins again – who can challenge him?

11:51 am

We now wish you “ä good luck” and say goodbye for the lunch break. We will report back in time for the second run (1:30 p.m.).

11:50 a.m

It’s a wonderful Sunday in Adelboden in many ways. At least that’s true from a Swiss perspective – and initially at the halfway point of the giant slalom classic. Because Loïc Meillard leads in wonderful winter weather. Although the man from Neuchâtel is struggling with serious back problems that are causing him problems, especially in the basic disciplines, due to his hunched posture, he is setting a mark that no one can come close to. With starting number 1, Meillard has a very strong ride. He masters the upper part of the selective route so smoothly that driver after driver has to cut their teeth on it.

This also applies to his teammate Marco Odermatt, who is having a bit of trouble finding his way into the race. But then the three-time overall World Cup winner does what he has done so many times. He turns up the heat and, with his strong drive on the finish slope, makes up four tenths on Meillard and is now in third place, three tenths behind. Henrik Kristoffersen is positioned between the two Swiss, losing 27 hundredths to Meillard. In any case, the starting position promises a lot of excitement for the second run. Especially since Thomas Tumler – the winner of Beaver Creek – can still dream of a podium place with a difference of three tenths on Odermatt. Luca Aerni (16th) also qualified for the second run.

However, not everyone gets along with the Chuenisbärgli as well as Meillard, Odermatt and Tumler. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen and Leo Anguenot, both of whom have already stood on a giant slalom podium this winter, are eliminated after a strong run. The race also ended early for Fadri Janutin, Lenz Hächler and Sandro Zurbrügg.

11:48 a.m

And the last Swiss also completed the first run. However, Zurbrügg, who briefly worked in his trained profession as a car mechanic after last season, is leaving.

11:39 a.m

The 26-year-old from Graubünden started the season solidly with 27th place in Sölden. The only thing is that no countable result has been added since then. The pressure increases on Simonet, who is making good progress to the finish slope. But then he makes several mistakes. In 31st place he missed the second run.

11:34 am

The 21-year-old from Zug became junior world champion in slalom last season. He is very committed and is on course to qualify for the second run. But he is eliminated at the finish line.

11:28 a.m

There are still three Swiss at the start: number 38 is talent Lenz Hächler, who recently won two European Cup giant slaloms. Livio Simonet will start the race with the 45, Sandro Zurbrügg with the 52. The latter grew up in Frutigen, around 10 kilometers from the finish slope.

11:25 a.m

And another German: Gratz loses the duel against his compatriot and comes in 23rd. He will have to worry about taking part in the second run.

11:24 am

The German failed to qualify for the second run twice, and once he was eliminated at half-time. Most recently, however, he came in a strong eleventh place in Alta Badia. With 2.28 seconds he was in 20th place.

11:22 a.m

The Italian made his breakthrough in the 2022/2023 season, but the highly praised talent struggled last winter. But in Adelboden he shows what he’s made of: 15th place, right in front of Aerni.

11:20 a.m

For the Graubünden native, too, the race is over before it even begins. Like the Austrian Brennsteiner, he was eliminated at the fifth goal.

11:20 a.m

It took a long time until the Bernese was finally able to establish himself in the giant slalom. Thanks to his 4th place in December in Val-d’Isère with the last starting number, he is already in the top 30, and now he is convincing in 15th place. At the finish slope he even shines with the seventh best time in the section. Aerni doesn’t like hearing that he is currently described as a better giant slalom than slalom skier. But it’s a fact.

11:19 a.m

In 2021, the American fell terribly on the finish slope here and injured his head. His connection to the Chuenisbärgli is correspondingly special. But this time everything worked out, 1.57 seconds behind and he finished in 13th place. By the way, at the finish we were greeted by David Hasselhoff’s “Crazy for you” – we revel in our childhood!

11:17 am

The former Stöckli driver is now under contract with Atomic. He doesn’t have a chance because of his choice of skis, but because of a few mistakes. To make matters worse, he was eliminated at the finish line.

11:15 a.m

Subito, subito! This is what the supervisor shouts at the start. Well, it doesn’t help that much. The Italian lost more than three seconds and at the finish he threw his hands away – that’s last place for the time being.

11:14 am

The leader told Swiss television: “It feels good after the failure yesterday, but I didn’t think it was enough for the lead. It would have been possible to go even faster, but I made a few small mistakes. But it was probably difficult for everyone to hit the perfect line.”

11:11 a.m

Maes is Belgian, but anything but exotic. He has been in the top 30 of the giant slalom world rankings for three years now. After a strong start, he lost a lot of time from the middle section onwards – intermediate place 17.

11:10 a.m

Yesterday he missed winning the slalom by just two hundredths. There is no question: the Brazilian is not only an asset to the World Cup with his open, unusual style, he is also very fast. But his performance at the Chuenisbärgli ends prematurely for him too – he loses his balance in the middle section and is eliminated. And that, with the fifth best split time…

11:08 a.m

In September, Feuerstein narrowly avoided disaster during a giant slalom at the South American Cup in Argentina when he almost collided with a piste worker. In Adelboden he can’t change the Austrian sadness, he comes 17th. None of his compatriots are in the top 10.

11:07 am

And another Frenchman! In Alta Badia he came second behind Odermatt – it was the first podium finish for the 26-year-old. And that’s a very strong ride from him until he gets twisted as he enters the finish slope – Anguenot is also eliminated.

11:05 a.m

The Frenchman was once second in a parallel race, but he never rose above the status of a solid place driver. In the first run we finished 14th, just under two seconds behind.