Odermatt wins downhill globe for season’s fourth title

Saalbach: Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt secured a quartet of men’s Alpine skiing World Cup crystal globes on Sunday by clinching the downhill title after the final race was called off due to poor weather at the Austrian resort of Saalbach.

Heading into the race, which had 100 points on offer, Odermatt led France’s Cyprien Sarrazin by 42 points. “For sure it’s very strange to win a globe after such a tight battle with Cyprien,” said Odermatt, adding that it was a “fair decision” to cancel the event over safety concerns.

“But we would have liked to battle it out. It was a strange season with some cancellations but we had a very good January and February, high quality races, very cool medals. If you are leader going into the final week, you deserve the globe.”

Odermatt’s downhill crown made him the first male skier since Austrian Hermann Maier in 2001 to win four globes in a single season. “I spoke to Hermann two years ago in summer, when I won my first globe. He told me it is cool when you can’t hold all the globes. So I think this will be a good feeling,” Odermatt said.

The 26-year-old has already won the overall title, as well as the super-G and giant slalom crystal globes. The cancellation of Sunday’s race means he will not be able to better his record of 2,042 set last season, ending the season with 1,947 points - 874 ahead of compatriot Loic Meillard.

Sarrazin had no problem with the cancellation over safety concerns but said he was proud of his season. “I wanted to have a fair race and a safe race and that’s how it is. We will enjoy tonight because it was an amazing season,” he said.