Alta Badia (Italy) (AFP) - Lucas Braathen won Sunday's World Cup giant slalom at Alta Badia as reigning champion Marco Odermatt extended his lead at the top of the discipline and overall standings.
Braathen clocked a combined time of two minutes, 36.35 seconds to pip fellow Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen by just 0.02sec and claim his second win of the World Cup season after taking the slalom honours in Val d'Isere last weekend.
"It's incredible, I'm going to remember this day forever.Winning is like a drug, you always need more of it," said Braathen.
The 22-year-old will be competing in another giant slalom on Monday as the world's best stay in Alta Badia.
"I'm so happy that I'm further along than I thought I could be in GS.I'm going to enjoy this for as long as I can and it's going to be a battle tomorrow...I'd better be ready."
Braathen now sits fourth in the men's giant slalom standings on 179 points, 81 behind Odermatt who bounced back from a poor first run to finish third, 0.10sec off the pace.
Swiss Odermatt increased his lead after chopping over three seconds off his first run time, which had left him in ninth ahead of his second charge down the piste.
"I wasn't sure if it was going to happen today after the first run, it was difficult for me to find the right speed.I didn't think it would be so tight for first place," said Odermatt.
Olympic giant slalom champion Odermatt is now 75 points ahead of Zan Kranjec, who led after the first run but finished 0.69sec back in fifth, and Kristoffersen.
Odermatt's impressive recovery means he is 171 points ahead of Aleksander Aamodt Kilde in the overall World Cup table after the Norwegian failed to finish his first run following his downhill win in Val Gardena on Saturday.
