ALTA BADIA, Italy — In a stunning reversal of expectations at the World Cup giant slalom, Austrian skier Marco Schwarz triumphed over the heavily favored Marco Odermatt on the challenging Gran Risa course. The victory marks a significant comeback for Schwarz, who spent nearly a year recovering from injury since his previous World Cup win in December 2023.
Schwarz, starting with bib number 1, maintained his first-run advantage to secure a wire-to-wire victory, finishing 0.18 seconds ahead of Brazilian contender Lucas Pinheiro Braathen. The emotional win concluded with Schwarz embracing Austrian teammate Stefan Brennsteiner, who claimed third place.
The outcome proved particularly surprising given Odermatt’s dominance at Alta Badia, where the Swiss skier had won five of the previous six giant slalom events. Odermatt finished a distant sixth, trailing Schwarz by 0.82 seconds and showing visible frustration upon crossing the finish line. Speculation emerged that fatigue from Odermatt’s demanding three-day speed racing program in nearby Val Gardena may have contributed to the uncharacteristic performance.
Despite the setback, Odermatt maintains a substantial lead in the season-long overall standings, holding more than double the points of second-placed Schwarz as he pursues his sixth consecutive title.
The race also marked several notable developments: Pinheiro Braathen’s strong performance continued his successful transition from representing Norway to Brazil, while Russian skier Aleksander Andrienko made his return to men’s World Cup competition after nearly four years of absence due to sanctions related to the Ukraine conflict. Andrienko competed with neutral status but failed to qualify for the second run.
Additionally, the event saw the absence of Olympic contender Alexander Steen Olsen, who underwent season-ending knee surgery, removing a potential challenger to Odermatt’s giant slalom supremacy.