Black as if molded from one piece – alpine skiing

Marco Schwartz got away from it all. © APA / Sean M Haffey

The duel between the two Marcuses goes to Schwarz this time: the Austrian beat the Swiss Odermatt in a very exciting decision in the giant slalom in Palisades Tahoe (USA) on Saturday, thus celebrating his first victory in this discipline.

February 25, 2023

From: Leo

The athletes found different circumstances in the decision compared to the first round: on the one hand, the sun was no longer shining, on the other hand, Austrian coach Michael Bircher outlined a more transformative course. The flat width proved to be a benchmark – especially since the road was new territory and the athletes had few points of reference anyway.

Stefan Brennsteiner perfectly solved the task on the uphill track of his coach and set the first benchmark. Henrik Kristoffersen, who made mistakes in the first round, and especially Marco Schwarz, showed that it is possible to go faster. The Austrian broke the best time in the snow and put his rivals under a lot of pressure. Especially on the top, Black was able to absorb bumps and build up a lot of speed.

Exciting duel

As a result, the competitors struggled to keep up with the best times – Marco Odermatt included. The outstanding skier of the present turned up the heat after a big mistake in the upper section, skated to the bars on the finish slope and took half a second compared to Schwartz. But in the end, three hundred tipped the scales in favor of the Austrian. Rasmus Windingstad of Norway came in third.

He had to settle for second place: Marco Odermatt © APA / SEAN M. HAFFEY

If the first round goes as required from the point of view of South Tyrol, the hosts will not take the decision. Simon Morbiger (26), Alex Vinnatzer (25) and Hans Zengerli (23) have all dropped down the ranks after fouls. Nevertheless, qualifying for the second round can be considered a success – especially for Val Gardena, who collected points in giant slalom for the first time. The 23-year-old could do his own discipline on Sunday. Mauerberger and Tobias Kasselunger are also chasing points in the slalom. Saturday’s best Italian was Filippo della Fite, in twelfth place.

Giant Slalom in Palisades Tahoe: