Ahead of Schwarz by one-hundredth of a second at the halfway point, the 28-year-old was under real pressure to deliver. Which is just how he likes it.
“Definitely difficult ones, with the conditions, with the visibility, the snowfall, it was a tough race, but I usually like those tough races,” he said after finishing in a combined time of one minute 56.03 seconds.
Three wins and a World Cup Globe last season would represent a fantastic haul for most people, but Odermatt is not most people.
“It was not the easiest, or not my very best GS season in the end last season,” said the man whose previous GS victory came in January in Adelboden. “So yeah, after not winning for a couple of months, it’s very nice to be back on the podium on top.”
A third Sölden triumph pulls Odermatt level with the iconic Austrian Herman Maier. Ted Ligety (USA) with four resort wins is firmly in his sight, as are a whole host of records.