LA VILLA, Italy (AP) — Looking to restore order after an uncharacteristic third-place finish a day earlier on the same course, Olympic champion Marco Odermatt led the opening run of another giant slalom in Alta Badia on Monday.
Odermatt, the overall World Cup leader, was 0.60 seconds ahead of Henrik Kristoffersen and 1.10 ahead of Swiss teammate Loic Meillard.
Lucas Braathen, the Norwegian who won Sunday’s race, lost control on the upper section of the Gran Risa course, got twisted around and ended up careening through a gate backward.
“That’s how it is. Day and night, such a contrast,” Braathen said. “That error just came out of nowhere. So I was a bit surprised, and even more surprised that I couldn’t save it. But that’s racing, it’s on the limit. And today I was on the wrong side of it.”
Fatigued after two downhill races in nearby Val Gardena, Odermatt struggled into ninth in Sunday’s opening run before charging onto the podium in the second leg.
“It was a big improvement to yesterday. I was awake today,” Odermatt said. “I knew with bib No. 2 it was a big advantage today and I had to use it.”
Odermatt won the opening two giant slaloms this season and has been on the podium in 11 consecutive races in the discipline.
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