‘He’s human’ – Marco Odermatt crashes out of men's giant slalom at Copper Mountain to end podium streak
By Will Conroy
Updated 28/11/2025 at 22:16 GMT
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Marco Odermatt's incredible run of podium finishes in the giant slalom came to an end on Friday as he crashed out in the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup at Copper Mountain. After crashing out in the first two races of last season, the 28-year-old had claimed a top-three place in every race since. You can watch the winter sports season and February's Winter Olympics live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
‘He’s human’ – Odermatt crashes out of men's giant slalom to end podium streak
Video credit: TNT Sports
Marco Odermatt crashed out during his first run of the men's giant slalom in the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup at Copper Mountain on Friday.
The Swiss superstar was just under a minute into his run when he lost balance following a right turn and slid off the course, ending his incredible run of podiums since the third race of last season.
It comes just a day after the 28-year-old claimed victory in the super-G season opener, while he also came out on top in the inaugural giant slalom race of the season in Soelden, Austria, at the end of last month.
Describing the crash, TNT Sports commentator Ed Drake said: "Just as we talked about him standing on the inside of the ski at the end of the turn, normally that works so well for him.
"He just stood on it slightly too early, and when you stand on it too early, you don’t get that purchase, and you don't get that balance. He’s human!"
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Video credit: TNT Sports
Odermatt suffered two crashes in the first two giant slalom races of last season before going on to finish on the podium in all the remaining races, to claim his fourth consecutive title.
"He was frustrated with those mistakes at the beginning of last season," Drake said.
"It didn't stop him picking up his fourth consecutive giant slalom globe, and it will be frustrating (but) he can bounce back very quickly."
With Odermatt having nearly suffered a similar crash just moments before during Friday's run in Colorado, former Olympian Charlie Guest added on commentary: "He recovered so well from that, so perfectly.
"Then just a couple of gates further down, he just found that riskier position, and he almost can't believe it."
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Stefan Brennsteiner went on to claim victory at Copper Mountain, finishing ahead of Henrik Kristoffersen and Filip Zubcic in second and third, respectively.
It was a convincing win for the Austrian, finishing 0.95 seconds ahead of Kristoffersen after both runs in Colorado, while there were just five hundredths of a second between second and third.
Odermatt, meanwhile, will look to return to winning ways in the giant slalom at Beaver Creek as he continues his build-up to the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, which will be live from February 6-22 on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Asked whether he had made any changes to his approach for the new season following his victory in the super-G on Thursday, Odermatt said: "It's tough to say, obviously I trained a lot during the summer.
"You're never done, you always have to continue with the hard work. It's just great that I can start the season like this.
"In the end, you have to take it race by race, the season is long and there are so many good athletes.
"Everyone wants to win, so you have to attack every race again from the beginning."
The 2026 Winter Games will take place from February 6-22, with the event shown live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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