Beaver Creek (USA) (AFP)

Hatching of a new "bird of prey": Marco Odermatt of Switzerland won the Super-G in Beaver Creek (Colorado) Friday, the first victory of his career in the World Cup ahead of the Norwegian Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, the Austrian Matthias Mayer and the Frenchman Alexis Pinturault, 4th.

The prodigy of Hergiswil confirmed at 22 years his huge potential glimpsed last year at the World Juniors in Davos, where he had won five gold medals out of six possible. In March, this year, he has already shown some good things by hanging two podiums of the 2018-2019 World Cup, finishing 2nd and 3rd of the Giants of Soldeu and Kranjska Gora.

"I did not imagine imposing myself here because I made some small mistakes, but I kept pushing to go fast," said the lucky winner at the NBC microphone.

A priori rather experienced in technical races than those of pure speed, he surprised everyone on the demanding track of the "Birds of Prey". Second to start, he achieved a time of 1 min 10 sec 90 / 100th that none of the Super-G specialists could beat.

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde did not have to dislodge him anyway. Without a small mistake on the last door, the Norwegian would surely not finish at 10 / 100th.

- Pinturault grapple -

At that moment, filmed in close-up by the cameras, Odermatt could pull out his tongue and smile as a relief. Because he also came to see favorite Mathias Mayer also fail close to 14 / 100th to complete the podium.

Under the bright sun of Colorado, Pinturault, come to play the spoilsports in a speed exercise that is not necessarily his favorite, reached his goal by finishing 4th at 37 / 100th to pick up a few points.

In the overall World Cup standings, Mayer accentuates his dominance (221 pts) ahead of the Italian Dominik Paris (180), 13th of this Super-G, Odermatt (170), Kilde (152) and Pinturault (150) who confirms his 5th place.

The latter, who is among the favorites to the big globe since the retirement this summer of the Austrian Marcel Hirscher, will aim for victory Sunday on the Giant, after winning that of Sölden (Austria) a little over a month ago at the opening of the season.

In the other French, the disappointment came from Adrien Théaux, who had started first, and whose dream of podium quickly flew away because he missed a turn and a door at the beginning of descent and did not so did not finish his race.

Nils Allègre finished 17th, Johan Clarey 36th and Roy Piccard 37th.

© 2019 AFP