Marco Odermatt won the first leg of the giant Soldeu by more than a second ahead of all his opponents, including Alexis Pinturault, second.

He has won everything this season but he hopes to fulfill one last objective this weekend: to exceed the bar of 2000 points won in the World Cup and thus beat Hermann Maier’s record. Marco Odermatt is almost there! The Swiss has 1942 points, and he seems very close to gleaning 100 more from the giant Soldeu finals, since he dominated the first round. Leaving with bib 4, under 2°C and a sky that alternated sun and cloud, the now double winner of the big crystal globe was one second and nine hundredths ahead of Alexis Pinturault, who seemed to have signed a big round. Odermatt, who admitted celebrating after his Super-G success on Thursday, crushed the competition, as no skier finished in the same second as him, and only eight finished under two seconds apart.

Sport A new podium for Pinturault?

In third place, we find Alexander Steen Olsen, who finished three hundredths behind Alexis Pinturault. In the absence of a victory, who seems to be reaching out to Marco Odermatt, the French skier, in a clear revival of form in this second part of the season, will therefore aim for a new podium, during the second round which will start at 12:00 p.m. Only one other tricolor participated in this giant slalom (formerly the favorite discipline of French skiers) of the finals: Alban Elezi Cannaferina, qualified as junior world champion in the discipline. The 19-year-old skier, victim of a broken thumb for which he will only be operated on in a few days, finished 21st, nearly four seconds behind King Odermatt.

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WORLD CUP FINALS (M) / GIANT SLALOM IN SOLDEU (ANDORRA)
Ranking of the first round – Saturday March 18, 2023
1- Marco Odermatt (SUI) in 1’07″86
2- Alexis Pinturault (FRA) at 1″09
3- Alexander Steen Olsen (NOR) à 1″12
4- Lucas Braathen (NOR) à 1″14
5- Loïc Meillard (SUI) at 1″61
6- Luca De Aliprandini (ITA) at 1″68
7- Rasmus Windingstad (NOR) at 1″69
8- Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR) at 1″70
9- Gino Caviezel (SUI) at 1″87
10- Stefan Brennsteiner (AUT) at 2″19
…
21- Alban Elezi Cannaferina (FRA) at 3″91
…

Abandon : River Radamus (USA)