In the three sprints in Scandinavia, Marco Odermatt had the opportunity to secure the World Cup overall early on.
Marco Odermatt brings 375 points ahead of Kvitfjell. In Norway, with 2 downhill and Super-G races, there are 3 sprints in the programme. The three days of racing could be the initial decision in the World Cup as a whole.
Odermatt’s special dual role
Although the man from Nidwalden failed to win a medal in sprints at the Olympics, he traveled to the Lillehammer region full of self-confidence. There, Odermatt starts out as a catcher in the discipline rankings and as a chaser in the World Cup All-Out – a special starting position.
While Odermatt clearly leads the overall standings, he is 44 points behind rival Alexander Kilde for fourth in the downhill classification. With Beat Feuz (second, 8 points behind), another Swiss is vying for the small crystal ball from Norway. Olympic champion Fuse is likely to attack in higher discipline, as he wants to be the first athlete to raise the downhill ball for the fifth consecutive time.
While Schangnauer is not vying to win the Super-G rating, his younger teammate also has a chance at this ball, albeit a small one. If Olympic bronze medalist Kilde wins the Super-G and Odermatt doesn’t land right behind him, he can increase his lead decisively (currently 61 points) and thus already has a surely small crystal ball before the end of the season at Courchevel.
Farewell and another chance
In addition to Kilde, 3 days of racing at home will also be special for a second Norwegian driver. A second descent at the start of the weekend should be emotional for Keitel Jansrud, as the 36-year-old ends his long career with him.
It is a suitable place to end a successful career as a ski racer. Here Jansrud celebrated his first wins in Super-G and in supreme discipline – now, 19 years after his debut at the same venue, the circuit has completed a full lap.
If, contrary to expectations, Odermatt plays neither a supporting nor a major role in Jansrud’s Dernière, the high-profile Swiss player still has another chance to win a crystal before the end of the season: the newly crowned Olympic champion belongs to two giant races in Kranjska Gora in Slovenia (March 12-13) A candidate in this specialty – confidently leads the rating.
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