Olympic GS champion Odermatt wins close duel with Schwarz to start World Cup season with victory

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SÖLDEN, Austria (AP) — Olympic champion Marco Odermatt held off a challenge by home crowd favorite Marco Schwarz to win the season-opening men’s World Cup giant slalom in the Austrian Alps Sunday.

In a weather-delayed final run, Odermatt built on his slim first-run advantage of 0.01 seconds to beat the Austrian by 0.24 for his 46th career win, and 27th in GS.

It was Schwarz's first podium result in nearly two years, during which he suffered from knee and back injuries.

Atle Lie McGrath of Norway finished 0.03 further back in third.

“It's the perfect start into a new season," Odermatt said. “This is very good for getting into the season, to have this confidence already back.”

The second run started after an hour-long delay as snowfall vastly increased between the runs and course workers needed time to move the fresh snow off the race line. Low clouds also initially limited visibility for racers, who reach speeds approaching 75 kph (46.6 mph).

“It was tough for everyone with the visibility, the little snowfall, the slope, but (course workers) did a good job and so did I,” Odermatt said. “You had to ski smart from top to the bottom, two runs in total.”

Organizers delayed the second-run start time by 30 minutes twice but ultimately gave the green light as conditions improved.

“They did a good job, I think it was quite a fair second run,” Odermatt said. “I know I like these conditions when you have to fight.”

Schwarz’s teammate Stefan Brennsteiner was third after the opening run but lost one place in the second.

“It was a very strong performance from the Austrians, especially from ‘Blacky’, who is definitely back,” said Odermatt, referring to Schwarz, who just failed to give home nation Austria its second victory to start the World Cup season, a day after Julia Scheib won the women’s race.

Schwarz was upbeat after a 22-month absence from the podium.

“It was an incredible tough time, a painful time, also mentally,” Schwarz said. “I got under a lot of pressure, also from myself, so I am very happy to be second here.”

Two years ago, Odermatt and Schwarz had an intriguing battle in the overall standings. The Austrian was leading when he damaged his knee in a downhill crash and had to end his season in late December, as Odermatt went on to clinch the big crystal globe again.

Odermatt has won the GS title in each of the past four seasons, but he skied out of the opening race last year, which ended with a Norwegian sweep of the podium.

Last year's winner, Aleksander Steen Olsen, sat out Sunday's race with a persistent knee injury.

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who started his second season competing for Brazil since his switch from the Norwegian team, slipped and skied out of the course halfway through his first run.

“It’s a fine balance between intensity and control and precision, I miscalculated that today,” said Pinheiro Braathen, who’s chasing Brazil’s first ever World Cup win in Alpine skiing.

World champion Raphael Haaser placed sixth, while former overall champion Alexis Pinturault was 1.64 off the lead in 18th in the Frenchman’s first race since January.

River Radamus was the only American starter who qualified for the second run, finishing 1.89 seconds behind Odermatt in 21st.

Strong winds on the upper part of the course forced organizers to use a start gate lower down the mountain, reducing run times to less than a minute for the top racers.

The men's World Cup continues with a slalom in Levi, Finland, on Nov. 16.

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Eric Willemsen on X: https://x.com/eWilmedia

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AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing