The Swiss celebrate a historic triple victory in the giant slalom in Hafjell. Loïc Meillard wins ahead of Marco Odermatt and Thomas Tumler. Odermatt secures the second small crystal globe of the winter.
It is only the second Swiss triple victory in the giant slalom in World Cup history. Thanks to the 80 points for 2nd place, Odermatt is already the discipline winner before the final in Sun Valley.
More successful than ever before
The Swiss alpine skiers write national skiing history in the giant slalom in Hafjell, and not just with their triple victory. 40 podium places in one winter is a record.
With podium places 38, 39 and 40, Loïc Meillard, Marco Odermatt and Thomas Tumler broke the 40-year-old Swiss record for the most top 3 finishes in a World Cup season.
The previous record stood at 38 top 3 finishes since the 1984/85 season and the era of Pirmin Zurbriggen.
The Swiss went into the second run with a three-run lead; Meillard was just ahead of Tumler at the halfway point and three tenths ahead of Odermatt. In the end, the man from Neuchâtel took his third World Cup victory in the giant slalom and fifth overall, 14 and 23 hundredths respectively ahead of his compatriots.
The only previous Swiss triple triumph in the men's giant slalom dates back to 1983, when Pirmin Zurbriggen won in Adelboden ahead of Max Julen and Jacques Lüthy.
Odermatt benefited from the poor performance of Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen in the battle for the small crystal globe. Two weeks after his victory in Kranjska Gora, the Nidwalden native's last serious remaining competitor in the Giant Slalom World Cup suffered equipment problems and had to settle for 16th place, having already been far behind in fifteenth place after the first run.
Odermatt overall World Cup winner for the 4th time in a row
In addition to the discipline victories in the super-G and giant slalom, Odermatt also has the overall World Cup mathematically secured with five races to go. Three crystal globes are now in the bag, and Odermatt can clinch the fourth next Sunday in the downhill final in Sun Valley. His lead over Franjo von Allmen is a comfortable 83 points.
Due to a heavy crash by Austrian world champion Raphael Haaser, the race was interrupted for a few minutes in the second run before the last seven racers. Luca Aerni was also eliminated after finishing in 17th place at the halfway point, but like Meillard, Odermatt and Tumler he is still qualified for the final of the top 25.
The second-to-last slalom is scheduled for Sunday in Hafjell, where the last World Cup races in the technical disciplines took place 22 years ago. Meillard is 102 points behind leader Kristoffersen in third place in the discipline rankings. The first run starts at 9.30 a.m., the second at 12.30 p.m.
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