With a double victory at the weekend in Val Gardena/Gröden and Alta Badia, Marco Odermatt replaces Pirmin Zurbriggen as the most successful Swiss skier. But the dethroned skier is delighted with his compatriot - and has high hopes for him.
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- On Sunday, what has become increasingly apparent in recent months became a fact: Marco Odermatt replaces Pirmin Zurbriggen as the most successful Swiss skier with his 41st World Cup victory.
- Zurbriggen is delighted with his successor and shows little surprise: "We've seen for a long time that Marco has the potential to bring home more victories than me."
- The 61-year-old is already convinced that Odermatt's success story is far from over: "I'm convinced that Marco can achieve over 50 victories."
Second place in the super-G in Val Gardena/Gröden on Friday, the downhill triumph the following day and finally the impressive giant slalom victory in Alta Badia on Sunday - Marco Odermatt has already given Swiss ski fans their first presents just before Christmas. Above all, however, Odermatt's double victory means he replaces the great Pirmin Zurbriggen as Switzerland's record World Cup winner.
At the age of 27, Odermatt already has 41 victories - surpassing Zurbriggen's 34-year record. "Beating Pirmin Zurbriggen - the number didn't matter before, but now it's a milestone in my career," admits Odermatt.
Zurbriggen was able to prepare himself
The replaced Zurbriggen is delighted with his successor. "There was preparation, so to speak. You could see for a long time that Marco has the potential to bring home more victories than me. I watched with excitement," says Zurbriggen, who follows almost every race, in an SRF interview. "On Sunday, it was so exciting to see the skills Marco showed. That was fantastic. In difficult conditions, where you can make mistakes at any time, he managed to ski at the limit."
The two series winners have not been in direct contact since Sunday. But Zurbriggen explains: "I think I'll meet up with Marco and his family at some point so that I can acknowledge this victory properly and congratulate him warmly." The 61-year-old has no envy or resentment for Odermatt. "What I enjoy most about Marco, apart from his skills, is his character and his attitude. He is exemplary as a person, which is wonderful."
Number 2 behind Stenmark?
For the Calgary Olympic champion, one thing is clear: if Odermatt stays healthy, his success story is far from over. "I'm convinced that Marco can achieve over 50 victories," says Zurbriggen.
With his 41 triumphs, Odermatt still has five skiing legends ahead of him: Marc Girardelli (46), Alberto Tomba (50), Hermann Maier (54), Marcel Hirscher (67) and Stenmark (86). "Marco could become one of the world's best skiers of all time," says Zurbriggen. "I don't quite think he can catch Ingemar Stenmark (86 World Cup victories), but I think he is capable of becoming number 2."
