Marco Odermatt breaks Hermann Maier’s 23-year ski factors report with sensational victory in Soldeu

Marco Odermatt broke a 23-year report as he claimed victory within the final males’s World Cup large slalom of the season in Soldeu, Andorra.

Odermatt’s win means he passes the all-time males’s World Cup ski factors report set by the good Hermann Maier within the 1999-2000 season. The best general factors report belongs to Tina Maze, who claimed 2,414 factors in 2013.

The Swiss simply wanted to complete within the prime three to interrupt Maier’s season report of two,000 factors, a feat he achieved in fashionable style.

“As we speak wasn’t simple, I used to be nervous once more due to these 2,000 factors, so I actually wished this podium in the present day. I don’t know what to say.”

Questioned what breaking Maier’s report meant, Odermatt stated: “Yeah, so much really. The previous days, I all the time stated: ‘no, no, not so vital, simply numbers’. However now I knew it’s extra vital than I stated. So, very blissful that it labored.”

So, is there extra partying on the playing cards on Saturday evening?

“I really don’t know if I’ve sufficient vitality as a result of I’m actually, actually empty,” laughed Odermatt. “Yeah, the vital factor I assume was the race and we’ll see how a lot vitality is left for the celebration.”

Trying to find his seventh World Cup large slalom win this season and his thirteenth throughout the entire disciplines, Odermatt was 1.09s faster than Alexis Pinturault within the first run.

The 25-year-old handled the terrain properly, delivering an impressive efficiency, one which we’ve change into accustomed to this season. He saved his greatest to the final third of the problem. His timing was impeccable as he topped the standings in a time of 1:07.86.

Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen had set the goal complete time of two:21.75 for Odermatt within the second run, and with circumstances troublesome and the course at its worst, the Swiss had his work lower out.

However he made it look really easy as he produced one other mesmerising show to efficiently defend his large slalom title with a time of 1:11.78 and a complete time of two:19.64, greater than two seconds forward of his nearest opponent.

Kristoffersen bowed in entrance of him in an ideal present of respect, and, actually, everybody was on their ft to salute Odermatt, who signed off 2023 with a spectacular victory which took his factors complete for the season to 2,042.

Ultimately, Kristoffersen will accept his seventh podium end this season. Austria’s Marco Schwarz claimed third place in 2:21.93, an effective way to wrap up his marketing campaign after taking a podium end within the super-G.

It was a disappointing day for Alexander Steen Olsen, who slid out late within the second run having been third at midway.

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