Alpine Skiing - FIS Alpine Ski World Cup - Kranjska Gora, Slovenia - March 11, 2023 Switzerland's Marco Odermatt celebrates on the podium after winning the men's giant slalom with second placed France's Alexis Pinturault and third placed Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen REUTERS/Borut Zivulovic
(Reuters) - Marco Odermatt appears all but certain to win the overall Alpine skiing World Cup title after emerging triumphant in the giant slalom race down the Slovenian slopes of Kranjska Gora on Saturday.
The Swiss speedster opened up a 140-point lead over Henrik Kristoffersen after claiming his fifth giant slalom victory this season.
The Olympic champion finished 0.23 seconds ahead of Frenchman Alexis Pinturault, while Henrik Kristoffersen from Norway came third.
Norwegian rival Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, who is second in the overall standings, did not participate.
The 25-year-old Odermatt now has a overall lead in the World Cup with 486 points over Kilde with five races remaining.
Only Kilde could mathematically beat Odermatt to the overall Crystal Globe but he is not competing in Slovenia this weekend, paving the way for the Swiss skier to wrap up the title after Sunday’s giant slalom.
"Sure, it is another perfect day for me. It was very warm conditions. It wasn’t easy to stay focused at the start. Everything was so soft, so it wasn’t easy to ski. So I am very happy I could win this race," Odermatt said.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk)
