Swiss ski star Odermatt makes up big first-run deficit to win 8th straight World Cup giant slalom

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Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt celebrates on podium after winning an alpine ski, men’s World Cup giant slalom, in Schladming, Austria, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

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Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt, center, winner of an alpine ski, men’s World Cup giant slalom, poses with second placed Austria’s Manuel Feller, left, and third placed Slovenia’s Zan Kranjec, in Schladming, Austria, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

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Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt reacts in the finish area after completing an alpine ski, men’s World Cup giant slalom, in Schladming, Austria, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

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Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men’s World Cup giant slalom, in Schladming, Austria, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

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Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men’s World Cup giant slalom, in Schladming, Austria, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

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Austria’s Manuel Feller reacts in the finish area after completing the first run of an alpine ski, men’s World Cup giant slalom, in Schladming, Austria, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

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Austria’s Manuel Feller speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men’s World Cup giant slalom, in Schladming, Austria, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

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Switzerland’s Loic Meillard speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men’s World Cup giant slalom, in Schladming, Austria, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

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Slovenia’s Zan Kranjec reacts in the finish area after completing an alpine ski, men’s World Cup giant slalom, in Schladming, Austria, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

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Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men’s World Cup giant slalom, in Schladming, Austria, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

SCHLADMING, Austria (AP) — Swiss ski star Marco Odermatt remains close to unbeatable in giant slalom, even when he unintentionally grants his rivals a head start of nearly a second.

The Olympic champion came from far behind to win a floodlit World Cup giant slalom Tuesday and extend his winning streak in the discipline to eight races.

Odermatt was in 11th place after the first run and found himself with 0.98 seconds to make up on leader Manuel Feller following a big mistake, but he posted the fastest time by far in the second run.

Watching from the leader’s box, the Swiss star puffed his cheeks each time a higher-ranked skier from the first run failed to beat his time.

“Somehow you always believe in it. It shows you should never give up, always hope for the best,” Odermatt said.

Feller came closest, but the Austrian lost 1.03 on Odermatt and trailed by 0.05 when he crossed the finish. Slovenia’s Zan Kranjec was 0.29 behind in third.

“I know I would have been already fast in the first run, just the mistake,” Odermatt said. “So, I didn’t try to do something very special. I knew I had to stay on the line, always push. The snow was difficult today, so the tactic was not to go full, full, full attack. You really had to ski it clean and I managed this.”

Despite losing his promising lead and coming runner-up, Feller called his sixth career GS podium “a super result.” The Austrian is yet to win a race in the discipline.

“It was an incredible race, an incredible atmosphere. I knew (Odermatt) had a great run. I tried it, but there were a few gates where I just couldn’t take the ultimate risk,” Feller said.

It was Odermatt’s eighth win of the season and 32nd overall but the first in which he improved from 11th position after the first run.

Odermatt was on the podium in each of the last 22 giant slaloms he started in, and he led after the first run in 13 of the last 15 races.

The result sent Odermatt further ahead in the GS season rankings as well as in the overall standings, where he leads second-placed Cyprien Sarrazin by a massive 596 points. The Frenchman, who won two downhills in Kitzbuehel last weekend, does not compete in GS.

After 27 seconds into his first run Tuesday, Odermatt lost balance on his inside ski coming out of a left turn on the floodlit Planai course. He narrowly avoided falling and just managed to clear the next gate before regaining some time by clocking the fastest final section.

“I stayed in the race with a lot of luck,” Odermatt said. “These are difficult conditions. I think no one looked perfect. It’s a bit wet, a bit icy, slick. Certainly not easy to find the right setup.”

Feller pleased the home crowd as the Austrian edged out Odermatt’s teammate Loic Meillard by 0.10 in the first run. Meillard, who won the race last year when Odermatt didn’t start to rest a sore knee, dropped to fifth, sharing the position with Croatia’s Filip Zubcic.

Henrik Kristoffersen, the 2019 world champion, was third after the opening run as the Norwegian sought his first win in GS since March 2022, but he finished 1.26 off the lead in ninth.

A night slalom on the same hill is scheduled for Wednesday.

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