Defending champion Marco Odermatt grabs first win of World Cup season, super-G at Beaver Creek

BEAVER CREEK, Colo. (AP) — Swiss star Marco Odermatt won his first World Cup race of the season on Saturday with a spectacular finish in the super-G at Beaver Creek.

The three-time defending World Cup overall champion was behind by eight-hundredths of a second at the final check point but erased that in the last 18 seconds to beat Cyprien Sarrazin of France by 18-hundredths of a second.

Odermatt completed the Birds of Prey course in 1-minute, 9.41 seconds. Austrian Lukas Feurstein was third in 1:09.88 for his first podium.

“Today was a very difficult one. It was already a little bit bumpy from the top and then you had to really ski smart from the middle section,” Odermatt said. “It was quite fast but still big turns, and also all the rolls have been quite big this year. It was difficult to ski, not easy to stay on the line.”

Odermatt, who has won 38 World Cup races, earned his first World Cup victory almost exactly four years ago at Beaver Creek.

“It’s unbelievable. I would never have dream about this. It started some years ago and I hope I can continue a little bit longer,” he said. “Beaver Creek is always very special for me, especially after the first victory … but also just the atmosphere. We really like to ski here.”

River Radamus of Colorado was the top American finisher at eighth in 1:01.25.

The giant slalom on Sunday wraps up the Colorado stop. Odermatt was second in the downhill on Friday.

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