Alpine World Cup: Marco Odermatt wins downhill title to claim fourth globe

Switzerland's Marco OdermattEPA

Odermatt claimed the overall, super-G, giant slalom and downhill globes this season

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt won the downhill title to secure his fourth men's Alpine skiing World Cup crystal globe this season.

Odermatt was awarded the title after the final race was called off because of poor weather in the Austrian resort of Saalbach.

Crystal globes are awarded to the winner of each category in the World Cup.

He had already secured the overall, super-G and giant slalom globes.

Odermatt becomes the first male skier since Austrian Hermann Maier in 2001 to win four globes in a single season.

The 26-year-old led France's Cyprien Sarrazin by 42 points going into the final race in which 100 points would have been available.

"For sure it's very strange to win a globe after such a tight battle with Cyprien," said Odermatt.

"We both would have been ready for every decision. We saw it on the inspection. I'm not sure safety can be guaranteed.

"It's a good decision for sure from my side, but I think as well for the sport it was a fair decision. But we would have liked to battle it out."

Odermatt won two of the eight downhills completed during the season, while Sarrazin won three.

"For safety it was a good decision, so there is no problem," said Sarrazin.

"I wanted to have a fair race and a safe race and that's how it is. We will enjoy tonight because it was an amazing season.

"I'm really happy. I'm proud of myself. I never stopped believing. It was an amazing journey."

Odermatt's compatriot Lara Gut-Behrami won the overall, giant slalom and super-G titles in the women's disciplines and had been seeking a fourth crystal globe in Saturday's final race of the season.

However, Austria's Cornelia Huetter took the women's downhill World Cup title to stop Gut-Behrami becoming only the fourth woman to win four globes in a season after Americans Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn, and Slovenia's Tina Maze.

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