Swiss Skier Odermatt Claims Third Consecutive World Cup Victory

Marco Odermatt won the Wengen downhill to extend his World Cup lead, while Vincent Kriechmayr and Blaise Giezendanner suffered crashes in a dramatic race.

Marco Odermatt staged a remarkable comeback to win the downhill race in Wengen on Saturday, just a day after a disappointing seventh-place finish in the super-G. Odermatt's thrilling performance saw him edge out fellow Swiss skier Franjo von Allmen by a mere 0.37 seconds, with a time of 2 minutes 22.58 seconds. Slovenian Miha Hrobat completed the podium, finishing 0.57 seconds behind Odermatt.

Odermatt's victory was all the more impressive given his struggles in the final sector, where he seemed to lose control. However, he managed to recover and do just enough to secure the win. Reflecting on his performance, Odermatt told RTS, "It's a good reaction after yesterday's race. The skiing was perfect on this snow, the feeling underfoot was good, and on the jumps, I knew I was good to go further than in training.

Odermatt's win marked his second downhill success of the season, following his victory in Val Gardena. It was also his 43rd World Cup win, cementing his position as one of the world's top skiers. Moreover, Odermatt made history by becoming the first skier to win three consecutive downhills in Wengen, delighting the record-breaking crowd of 40,000 spectators.

Marco Odermatt's latest victory has extended his lead in the downhill standings to 82 points over Franjo von Allmen, who had won his first World Cup event in the super-G just a day earlier. Odermatt's dominance also sees him 292 points clear of Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen in the overall World Cup standings. With this win, Odermatt has now claimed three consecutive World Cup victories.

The success of Swiss skiers continues to grow, with Odermatt's win marking the sixth time in eight speed races that a Swiss athlete has emerged victorious. Furthermore, Von Allmen's second-place finish ensured a Swiss double in the downhill event, the fourth such occurrence this season.

🇨🇭Marco Odermatt storms to third straight downhill win at Wengen!#fisalpine #wintersport #worldcupwengen pic.twitter.com/GlMLXNOiaE

— FIS Alpine (@fisalpine) January 18, 2025

The downhill race was marred by two significant crashes, which caused interruptions to the event. Austrian Vincent Kriechmayr, who had finished second in the super-G the previous day, crashed heavily but was able to get up and limp away from the finish area. Unfortunately, French skier Blaise Giezendanner suffered a more severe crash and had to be airlifted out of the course, reportedly with a knee injury. This incident comes after another French skier, Cyprien Sarrazin, suffered a serious head injury in a crash at Bormio in December and is currently undergoing rehabilitation.