The men’s Giant Slalom season ended in much the same way as most of the season has done, across the disciplines: with lots of happy Swiss faces.
Marco Odermatt (SUI/Stöckli) was finally presented with the GS Crystal Globe that he’d already secured prior coming into this race – having put in an excellent performance to finish second in balmy Sun Valley conditions.
The season belongs to him, but the day belonged to Loic Meillard (SUI/Rossignol). The technically brilliant 28-year-old destroyed the competition on the day, mastering a rutted slope to finish well clear.
Meillard will go for the double on Thursday in the Slalom, and demonstrated that he can give Odermatt a real battle for the GS Globe next season, too.
He secured enough points to come third in the GS standings this winter – at the expense of Alexander Steen Olsen (NOR/Rossignol), who DNF’d.
Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR/Van Deer) got third place, and a 95th career podium, to finish second in the GS standings.
Meillard the master in warm conditions
Meillard’s end of season charge, crowned with a great GS win in Hafjell and double gold at the World Championships (in Slalom and Team Combined), continued in Sun Valley.
He took a big lead into the second run – and would need it, after Odermatt put down a characteristic bullish performance, skiing into the lead from sixth place.
The Swiss teammate was up to the challenge: solid, strong, making tough conditions that saw others falter look effortless. He finished +0.95 ahead of Odermatt and +1.14 in front of Kristoffersen, in third.
“It’s never easy, you know you have to find the rhythm and stay in the holes, and I managed to do it pretty well,” said Meillard.
“It was a bit tight a few places, but I always tried to push further, I saw Marco, his run. I knew he was fast, he skied well, so I thought OK, keep going, keep going. It paid off.”
Was the second run more fluid? “Definitely, easier to ski. I can’t say if that was better for me or worse. I did well in both runs, so it was just to find the right rhythm, the right approach for the run, and I managed to do it pretty well.”
Now he looks to tomorrow’s Slalom, where a battle with Kristoffersen no doubt awaits. “Yeah, and Henrik was on the podium today, he is in good form, he is feeling well on that snow, so it’s going to be a nice fight.”
Odermatt cruises to fourth title
Odermatt had struggled to find his tempo on the first run, but was always going to try to finish on a high.
He clocked the fastest second run of the afternoon – three tenths quicker than Meillard – but had left himself too much to do to end the season with a final victory.
The champion was more than satisfied. “I’m very happy to close the season with another podium,” he said.
“It’s always tough fight, and Loic is in amazing shape. He already won in Hafjell, and then to be nearly a second [ahead] here. Congratulations to Loic, he deserves it, and I’m also super happy with the second place.”
It was a tricky Globe to retain this time around, he acknowledged. “It’s a very nice one, especially after the season start when I couldn’t finish twice in a row,” said Odermatt.
“After not getting into the finish for the first two races, I thought maybe this Globe is already gone for this year. I came back very strong.
“This was a new situation for me and I did very well and kept a level to the end, which was enough for podium after podium. When I was in the finish I was on the podium which is always very nice.”
He was also pleased to have strapped his skis on, one more time, after frustrations earlier in the week.
“I got the Globe the last two days, Super G, Downhill, without racing, and with not my best performance, so it’s a little bit strange to get the globe for the best athlete of the year with a bad race.
“So it was very important to me to close the season with a good result. To not do a very good first run then come back with a good second run was very nice.”
He knows the competition will only intensify. “Every Globe is super hard to win. All the other guys, they want to win it as well, they push me, they showed some very good skiing, they came very very close, but I somehow managed to still keep my nose ahead. I try to keep it also [ahead] next year.”
Kristoffersen keeps consistent
Third after the first run, Kristoffersen once again was aggressive, direct and technically excellent.
He lost a little time on the slower section of the course, but his third place finish would confirm another second place overall in the GS behind Odermatt.
“I’m happy with today, it was exhausting,” he said. “In terms of how hard you had to work, it was very tough. They are two great skiers and I’m very happy with third place.
“I overestimated the course a little bit, to be honest. I watched two or three [other runs] and it looked like chaos. I think I need to stop watching people, because it always looks really difficult and then it isn’t that difficult. I was a little bit too round in spots.”
On Thursday he will try to hold off Meillard to secure his fourth Slalom career Crystal Globe. The Norwegian isn’t relishing going again in decidedly un-Scandinavian conditions, however.
“Tomorrow is going to be ten times worse, tomorrow is going to be hell, but that’s just how it is,” he said.
“Next year if we are in this situation, I don’t think I’ll be coming, to be honest. It’s too much for me. It’s going to be painful for the mind.”
