Olympic ski champion Marco Odermatt leads World Cup GS in French Alps after 1st run

By The Associated Press

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup giant slalom in Val d'Isere, France, Saturday, Dec.14, 2024. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Giovanni Auletta]

VAL d’ISERE, France (AP) — Olympic champion Marco Odermatt has posted the fastest time in the opening run of a men’s World Cup giant slalom in a quest for his first points in the discipline this season. Odermatt started conservatively but had a more free-flowing final part of his run down the challenging Face de Bellevarde course to lead Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway by 0.15 seconds. Odermatt’s Swiss teammate Loic Meillard was 0.32 behind in third. All other racers had to make up more than half a second on Odermatt in the final run later Saturday.