Odermatt Skis Out in Copper GS, Brennsteiner Leads

Copper Mountain, Colorado, saw an unexpected shakeup in the men's World Cup giant slalom on Friday when Olympic champion Marco Odermatt failed to finish the opening run, handing the lead to Austrian Stefan Brennsteiner, who is pursuing his first career victory at age 34.

Odermatt, the four-time overall World Cup champion, was on pace for the fastest time on a cold, clear day when he lost control of his inside ski at a right-hand gate and skied out. The mishap marked his first non-finish in a giant slalom since December at nearby Beaver Creek. No serious injuries were reported from the incident.

Brennsteiner, starting with bib number one and benefiting from the first tracks on the snow, posted a clean run to lead by 0.26 seconds over Slovenia's Zan Kranjec, who started second. Switzerland's Thomas Tumler, who claimed his lone World Cup win at Beaver Creek last year at age 35, sat third, 0.48 seconds behind Brennsteiner. Austria's Raphael Haaser, the reigning world champion in giant slalom, placed sixth, trailing by 0.83 seconds. Haaser, like Brennsteiner, has yet to secure a World Cup giant slalom victory despite four career podiums for the Austrian.