Swiss athletes expressed mixed emotions after recent performances, with Lara Gut-Behrami frustrated by consistency issues despite a strong finish in Super-G. Loïc Meillard narrowly missed the podium in slalom, while Marco Odermatt felt let down after finishing third in giant slalom. Henrik Kristoffersen’s victories added pressure to their championship pursuits. As the season progresses, the competition intensifies, particularly in the remaining races for the World Cup standings.
This weekend, Swiss athletes shared their feelings about their performances, with Lara Gut-Behrami expressing her growing frustration, Loïc Meillard feeling the sting of disappointment, and Marco Odermatt believing the wrong competitor had triumphed. Their sentiments reflect a mix of emotions and highlight the complexities of their recent races.
Gut-Behrami’s Frustration Over Consistency Issues
On Sunday, Lara Gut-Behrami narrowly missed the top spot in the Super-G, finishing just six hundredths of a second behind Italy’s Federica Brignone. Post-race, the 33-year-old from Ticino voiced her dissatisfaction with the repeated mistakes that plagued her throughout the season. “I simply lack the consistency to ski without errors,” she lamented.
Despite her frustrations, Gut-Behrami demonstrated her potential by gaining six tenths on Brignone in the lower section of the course, but she still has only one victory this season. In the overall World Cup standings, she lost valuable points to Brignone in both the downhill and Super-G events in Norway, increasing her deficit to 251 points. With only seven races remaining in her primary disciplines, the competition is heating up, especially with Brignone in excellent form. However, Gut-Behrami still holds a solid 55-point lead in the Super-G World Cup standings, with three races left.
As Gut-Behrami processed her disappointment in Kvitfjell, Loïc Meillard was just starting to feel his own frustration in Kranjska Gora.
Meillard’s Near Miss and Odermatt’s Challenge
Meillard, arriving in Slovenia as the new slalom world champion, kicked off his first run with a strong performance, but ultimately fell to fourth place, just one hundredth of a second shy of securing a podium spot against Austria’s Manuel Feller. “It’s bitter,” he commented, noting that this wasn’t the first time he faced such narrow margins this season. He had previously finished fourth in the giant slalom in Schladming, where he also lost out by a hair’s breadth.
Meanwhile, Marco Odermatt experienced his own disappointment after finishing third in the giant slalom in Kranjska Gora. “It’s whining at a high level,” he remarked, acknowledging that he had anticipated a stronger showing. Unlike last season, where he dominated with nine consecutive wins in giant slaloms, this year has proven more challenging, with three victories out of seven races so far.
The standout performer in both events was Henrik Kristoffersen, who made a remarkable comeback in Slovenia, capturing victories on both days. After a less-than-stellar World Championships, Kristoffersen returned to form, reminding everyone of his capabilities. However, his wins complicate matters for Meillard and Odermatt, who are both in pursuit of World Cup crystal globes. Following a solid first run, Meillard missed an opportunity to capitalize on Kristoffersen’s performance, and now his deficit stands at 102 points in the slalom standings.
For Odermatt, despite Kristoffersen’s success, his overall World Cup lead remains substantial at 360 points. Yet, with only 41 points separating him from Kristoffersen in the giant slalom standings, the remaining races promise to be intense. The stage is set for an exhilarating finish to the season, as the competition heats up with every turn on the course.