Marco Odermatt was eliminated from the giant slalom in Beaver Creek, failing to make it to the finish line for the third time in a row in his showpiece discipline. Bernhard Russi criticizes the superstar's tactical approach.
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- Marco Odermatt did not make it to the finish in the giant slalom in Beaver Creek. It was the third failure in a row in his showpiece discipline.
- "This has never happened to me before (...). Almost embarrassing," says the 27-year-old after the race.
- For Swiss skiing legend Bernhard Russi, one thing is clear: Odermatt wanted too much after his weak first run.
Marco Odermatt celebrated 13 giant slalom victories across the season from March 2023 to March 2024. Since October 2021, he has always made it onto the podium - until the incredible streak came to an end in the very last giant slalom of last season. Odermatt was eliminated in Saalbach and has been in trouble ever since.
After dropping out at the start of the season in Sölden, Odermatt also failed to make it to the finish in Beaver Creek on Sunday. After falling a long way behind in the first run, his aggressive tactics didn't work in the second run.
Odermatt skied past the fifth gate and was annoyed afterwards in the SRF interview: "I had to release briefly and then I was already standing next to it. Almost embarrassing. (...) If you ski as badly as you did today, you don't win these races."
Bernhard Russi is of the opinion that the man from Nidwalden, who is spoiled by success, simply wanted too much. In his column in "Blick", the former downhill world champion and Olympic champion writes of a tactical mishap. "Odermatt had lost his patience. Something that usually sets him apart."
Did Odermatt want too much?
The 27-year-old wanted to win the race on the fourth gate. "He skied too narrow, too direct a line. He wanted to overtake himself and forgot to be himself," says Russi.
Even in a successful career, there are days and moments when you don't find yourself, says the 76-year-old. This became clear in the first run, when Odermatt lost 1.26 seconds on the best time. Russi: "Then you have to limit the damage and sometimes finish in 4th or 5th place."
Odermatt had already built his golden career roof. What he still needs are some hard foundations. "Places of honour that stabilize the roof," as Russi writes. "If you accept that, then the victories will come naturally again."
