YANQING, China (Reuters) – Sunday’s men’s giant slalom race is set to offer World Cup leader Marco Odermatt a fresh chance of a medal at the Beijing Winter Olympics, after he missed out on the podium in the downhill and failed to finish in the super-G.
The Swiss skier, who tops the World Cup rankings in both giant slalom and the overall category, will face competition from a confident Norwegian team, including giant slalom World Cup number three and 2018 Olympic silver medallist Henrik Kristoffersen.
Austria’s Marcel Hirscher claimed gold in the giant slalom at the last Winter Games, but he has retired from the sport since.
His countryman Manuel Feller, currently second on the World Cup circuit in the giant slalom, said he was struggling on the artificial snow at the Beijing Games.
Having to self-isolate shortly before the Olympic races due to coronavirus also took a mental toll, he said.
“I don’t count among the favourites,” Feller told journalists. “I’ve surprised myself often in my career. I am looking forward to the race and will put the foot on the gas.”
Feller is set to start alongside team mate Marco Schwarz, who won bronze in the giant slalom World Championship last year.
Frenchman Mathieu Faivre and Italian Luca De Aliprandini, meanwhile, will be trying to turn their World Championship gold and silver medals into Olympic medals.
Alexis Pinturault of France, giant slalom bronze medallist from 2018, also has a chance of redemption in Sunday’s race after failing earlier in the week to finish the combined race, in which he claimed silver in 2018.
The first leg of the giant slalom is scheduled for 1015 China time (0215 GMT), with the second leg due to start at 1345.
(Reporting by Shadia Nasralla; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
