KRANJISKAGORA, Slovenia (AP) — Olympic champion Lucas Pinheiro Braathen set the fastest time in the opening round of the World Cup giant slalom on Saturday, with Marco Odermatt almost a second behind in fifth.
Pinheiro Braathen, who won a historic gold medal for Brazil last month, pushed Odermatt to silver and is the Swiss star’s closest challenger in the season-long giant slalom standings.
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On a sunny 4°C (39°F) day in Slovenia, Pinheiro Braathen finished 0.14 seconds ahead of Stefan Brennsteiner. Olympic bronze medalist Luik Mellard finished third in the afternoon session with 0.35 points.
Odermatt had the best snow conditions wearing the No. 1 starting number, but he was 0.92 off the pace.
The 28-year-old Swiss, who is chasing a fifth consecutive title in the giant slalom standings, started Saturday 103 points ahead of Pinheiro Braathen with two races remaining.
Pinheiro Braathen is looking to score a 100-point victory, with only the season-ending race in Hafel, Norway, on March 25 remaining on the giant slalom calendar. Odermatt is fifth with 45 points, 48 points ahead.
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Odermatt actually won his fifth consecutive overall World Cup title.
He started Saturday 687 strokes ahead of Pinheiro Braathen, with his rival not playing enough events over the next 2 1/2 weeks to close the gap.
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AP Skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing
