The local superstar leaves the competition no chance

This weekend, the men's Alpine Ski World Cup stopped in Adelboden, Switzerland. A giant slalom was on the program for Saturday. In adverse conditions, the overwhelming favorite and local hero – who else? – prevailed. A major error in the second run proved disastrous for Alex Vinatzer from Val Gardena.

10 January 2026

From: mv

In heavy snowfall on the Chuenisbärgli, local hero and overwhelming favorite Marco Odermatt gave his competitors no chance, securing his 72nd World Cup victory with a 0,49-second lead – much to the delight of the 20.000 fans in the finish area. Only Lucas Pinheiro Braathen and Leo Anguenot (+0,68 seconds) came close to matching the Swiss superstar's time, completing the giant slalom podium. For the 27-year-old Frenchman, it was the second World Cup podium finish of his career.

The slope in Adelboden proved to be a tough nut to crack on Saturday: even the slightest mistake significantly reduced the racers' speed. It was therefore no surprise that River Radamus – after the first round Radamus was still in 30th place – and had been in the lead for a long time. When the American started his run, the conditions were significantly better. Radamus finished the race in seventh place.

Vinatzer slips – Slalom today

In contrast, Val Gardena's Alex Vinatzer didn't have an optimal second run. While he was 7th at the halfway point, he slipped after just a few gates in the second run. Because he quickly recovered, he was able to finish. With a deficit of 9,62 seconds, he still managed to collect some World Cup points, finishing 26th. The best Italian in Adelboden was Luca De Aliprandini, who finished in 18th place (+2,79 seconds).

Alex Vinatzer made a major blunder in the second round. © ANSA / ANTHONY ANEX

The action continues at Chuenisbärgli on Sunday, when a slalom race is on the program. SportNews We will be providing live coverage of both the first round (10:30 am) and the second round (1:30 pm).