Marco Odermatt explains why giant slalom gold was ‘easier’ than downhill at the Alpine World Ski Championships

Odermatt was the big favourite to win Friday’s giant slalom but he had 0.48 seconds to find after the first run, which saw Marco Schwarz go fastest.

As the penultimate skier out of the start gate in run two, the Swiss skier went quickest by 0.32 seconds from Loic Meillard, before Schwarz could only slot into the bronze medal position.

“Another perfect day for me and the whole team with Loic,” Odermatt told Eurosport. “A ‘double victory’ that makes it even more special.

“It [feels] very different. The emotions of the downhill were way bigger because it was a surprise for me and everybody. The relief was bigger as well.

“I wouldn’t say today was easy, but it was easier, because you have a gold medal in your hotel room [already] so it made it easier.”

Odermatt had not won a World Championship medal coming into Courchevel but has changed that over the last six days with his downhill and giant slalom triumphs.

His ability to be among the best in the sport’s three traditional disciplines, downhill, super-G and giant slalom, has made him the athlete to beat on the men’s tour over the last two years.

Despite being behind Schwarz, who has been in great form in Courchevel, Odermatt was confident because his Swiss coach Krug Helmuth set the course for the second run.

“I knew it [the second run] would be [made] for us because we like to have a little bit more speed,” he said.

“When you have a flow it’s more difficult for me in the first run, so I knew the chance was still there to get Marco.

“It was a solid run but maybe not the best one so I needed his fault [mistakes] that helped me.”

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