Austrian skier Stefan Brennsteiner secured his first World Cup victory at the age of 34 after competing in 81 World Cup events over 14 seasons. Brennsteiner capitalized on Marco Odermatt’s early exit in the giant slalom event in Copper Mountain, Colorado, winning by a substantial margin of 0.95 seconds.
Expressing his joy, Brennsteiner mentioned, “It means a lot for me. The last years were quite good but I had tough times in my career.” Norwegian veteran Henrik Kristoffersen finished second, battling breathing difficulties at the high altitude of around 3,000 meters (9,850 feet).
Filip Zubcic claimed the third spot, closing in just one second behind the winner with a remarkable second run that lifted him from 13th place. Odermatt, a dominant force with 27 World Cup giant slalom victories in the past five years, failed to complete the race for the first time since December at Beaver Creek.
The Swiss skier’s mishap occurred as he was on course to record the fastest first-run time on a chilly day in Colorado, losing control at a crucial gate. This setback followed Odermatt’s consecutive wins in the super-G event, as he aims for his fifth consecutive World Cup overall title.
Brennsteiner, with four previous podium finishes in his World Cup career, all in giant slalom, had come close to victory before, securing a second-place finish in March 2022. Canadian skier Erik Read, the sole representative from Canada, finished 27th with a combined time of 2:34.42 in the competition.