Olympics – Alpine snowboarding – Males’s large slalom affords Odermatt contemporary probability at medal

YANQING, China (Reuters) – Sunday’s males’s large slalom race is about to supply World Cup chief Marco Odermatt a contemporary probability of a medal on the Beijing Winter Olympics, after he missed out on the rostrum within the downhill and failed to complete within the super-G.

The Swiss skier, who tops the World Cup rankings in each large slalom and the general class, will face competitors from a assured Norwegian group, together with large slalom World Cup quantity three and 2018 Olympic silver medallist Henrik Kristoffersen.

Austria’s Marcel Hirscher claimed gold within the large slalom on the final Winter Video games, however he has retired from the game since.

His countryman Manuel Feller, at the moment second on the World Cup circuit within the large slalom, mentioned he was struggling on the factitious snow on the Beijing Video games.

Having to self-isolate shortly earlier than the Olympic races resulting from coronavirus additionally took a psychological toll, he mentioned.

“I don’t depend among the many favourites,” Feller advised journalists. “I’ve stunned myself typically in my profession. I’m wanting ahead to the race and can put the foot on the gasoline.”

Feller is about to begin alongside group mate Marco Schwarz, who gained bronze within the large slalom World Championship final yr.

Frenchman Mathieu Faivre and Italian Luca De Aliprandini, in the meantime, can be attempting to show their World Championship gold and silver medals into Olympic medals.

Alexis Pinturault of France, large slalom bronze medallist from 2018, additionally has an opportunity of redemption in Sunday’s race after failing earlier within the week to complete the mixed race, by which he claimed silver in 2018.

The primary leg of the enormous slalom is scheduled for 1015 China time (0215 GMT), with the second leg resulting from begin at 1345.

(Reporting by Shadia Nasralla; Enhancing by Hugh Lawson)