Marco Odermatt locks up overall and discipline title in penultimate downhill of World Cup season

COURCHEVEL, France (AP) - Marco Odermatt has locked up his first two titles of the World Cup season. And it's only a matter of days before he will likely add two more globes.

The Swiss star secured the overall and downhill title Friday after finishing third behind Austrian winner Vincent Kriechmayr in the penultimate downhill of the season.

It's the fifth straight overall title for Odermatt, which puts him level with Marc Girardelli in second place on the all-time winners list, behind Marcel Hirscher with eight titles.

Clinching the big crystal globe was a formality for Odermatt, since the only racer who could mathematically overtake him, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, doesn't compete in downhills. The six remaining races this season are not enough for Pinheiro Braathen to close his deficit of 632 points in the overall standings.

"Winning those globes once again early means you are far ahead and that makes it even more special," said Odermatt, who won four World Cup downhills this season, but finished fourth in the Olympic race last month.

Odermatt won the downhill globe for the third straight season, marking his 10th career discipline title. He's expected to add the super-G globe this weekend and is in a strong position to win the giant slalom title at the World Cup Finals in Norway next week.

He also won those four globes in each of the past two seasons.

"It's very nice. For me, the downhill globe became probably the most important thing in my career now," Odermatt said. "To win this the third time in a row, and also with a big gap, makes it even more special to be so consistent in every race."

Odermatt knew before his run Friday that the downhill globe was secured, since his only remaining challenger, teammate and Olympic champion Franjo von Allmen, started earlier but skied out.

Von Allmen needed to finish first or second to keep any hopes alive. Racing in warm and sunny conditions, he came off the race line in a right turn and wasn't able to adjust when he skied through soft snow outside of the course.

Odermatt then clocked the third time, 0.31 seconds behind Kriechmayr, with Giovanni Franzoni of Italy trailing by 0.09 in second. The result marked the first World Cup downhill win for the Austrian men's team in three years.

"It was very difficult, very tough race. I think I never been that much tired in the finish like today, it's been a long season and tough conditions," said Odermatt, referring to the mild temperatures and soft snow.

"I am very happy with my race, another consistent race, for the globe as well, a perfect day."

Olympic super-G silver medalist Ryan Cochran-Siegle was the best U.S. skier in 12th place, while his teammate Jared Goldberg stopped his run after narrowly avoiding a full-speed crash with a course worker who was still moving on the race line when the American approached.

Odermatt's teammate Niels Hintermann, who was 20th on the start list, didn't race and said he had decided to end his career.

"My body and my mind didn't want to race today. I am not willing anymore to take the necessary risks," said Hintermann, who returned to the circuit in December at age 30 after being declared cancer-free following treatment for node cancer.

"I've got a second life after my illness, I am not going to put that at risk," added Hintermann, who got the last of his three career World Cup wins two years ago.

The race also marked the last downhill for 41-year-old Adrien Théaux, who this week announced his retirement after 22 years on the World Cup.

A three-time Olympian who took super-G bronze at the 2015 world championships in Beaver Creek, Colorado, the French veteran won three World Cup races, most recently in December 2015.

The race weekend in the resort that hosted the 2023 world championships continues with two super-Gs.