"I think he's Mr. Olympics, and he's a fantastic guy
," rejoiced his compatriot Vincent Kriechmayr, himself reigning super-G and downhill world champion, fifth on Tuesday.
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After 1:19.94 of effort, Mayer edged out American Ryan Cochran-Siegle, missing just four hundredths to create a huge upset, and beat Norwegian favorite Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, world number one by 42 hundredths. downhill like in super-G.
Third in the downhill on Monday, the 31-year-old Austrian won a fourth Olympic medal and became the third alpine skier titled in three different editions after Norwegian Kjetil Andre Aamodt (super-G 1992, 2002, 2010) and Italian Deborah Compagnoni (super-G 92, giant 94 and 98).
Accustomed to World Cup podiums (41), Mayer disturbed the expected duel between Kilde and the leader of the big globe race Marco Odermatt, who shared the five super-Gs of the winter.
Top 10 for Giezendanner
First of the cadors to start with bib 7, winner of three super-Gs this winter, Kilde nevertheless believed in victory when he raised his arms at the bottom of the track, face radiant, after a demonstration of power and cleanliness technical.
Especially since Marco Odermatt, a prodigy of balance usually capable of catching up with all risk-taking, this time made a mistake, on a very rotating course cooked up by his trainer, Reto Nydegger.
“At the Olympics, only a medal counts.
Maybe you take a little more risk than usual in the World Cup, where a 4th or 5th place brings important points”
, explained the 24-year-old Swiss, already turned to the giant on Sunday.
Starting with bib 13, Mayer showed his agility to stay on the track after punching one of the first gates with his left shoulder, then made a breathtaking end of the race on visibly polished snow over the passages.
“The track is accelerating”
, confirmed Alexis Pinturault.
"I think it comes a lot from the very cold weather at night, and you can see that when you get to bib number 9, it's going extremely quickly".
Alexis Pinturault in action on Tuesday.
CHRISTIAN HARTMANN / REUTERS
Starting in third position, the holder of the big globe finally finished 11th, satisfied to have produced a
“rather good, fair”
ski and to have taken cues for the alpine combined on Thursday, but frustrated by the changing conditions.
“I have to remember the way
,” said the Savoyard.
“I didn't have the ideal bib, but the skiing was good, the intentions were good”
.
Blaise Giezendanner, recent third in the downhill at Kitzbühel, finished 9th, while Matthieu Bailet, author of a very good start to the run, missed a gate.
