Pinturault beats unheralded McGrath to win GS in Alta Badia
ALTA BADIA โ Alexis Pinturault held off a challenge from unheralded Norwegian skier Atle Lie McGrath to win the classic menโs World Cup giant slalom on the Gran Risa course Sunday. He is the son of Felix McGrath, a World Cup skier for the US ski team in the 1980s and 90s. Pinturault gathered 15 of his 31 career World Cup wins in GS, but Sunday's result marked his first podium in the discipline this season. Among active skiers, only American Ted Ligety has more GS wins with 24. The men's World Cup remains in Italy for slaloms in Alta Badia on Monday and Madonna di Campiglio on Tuesday.
Odermatt wins World Cup GS to end 10-year Swiss drought
Switzerland's Marco Odermatt celebrates as he arrives at the finish area during the second run of an alpine ski, World Cup men's giant slalom in Santa Caterina Valfurva, Italy, Monday, Dec. 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)SANTA CATERINA VULFURVA โ Marco Odermatt fulfilled his potential on Monday by becoming first Swiss skier to win a men's World Cup giant slalom in nearly 10 years. Ever since winning GS world titles as a junior in 2016 and 2018, Odermatt was the ski-mad nation's main hope to end its drought in the discipline. After five podium finishes, including in both previous races this season, Odermatt finally delivered in the Italian Alps. We didnโt turn everything upside-down,โ Odermatt said about the rebuilding of the Swiss GS team in recent years.