World champion Marco Odermatt asserted his position as the frontrunner for the Olympic super-G gold on Friday by clinching victory in the first event of the Hahnenkamm weekend in Kitzbuhel, Austria, which served as the final super-G race before the upcoming Milan Cortina Games. Odermatt’s triumph marked his second super-G win of the season, making him the only skier with multiple victories in this discipline during the current season, which had previously seen five different winners in five events.
Competing under clear skies, Odermatt narrowly outpaced his Swiss teammate Franjo von Allmen by a mere 0.03 seconds. Reflecting on his performance, Odermatt expressed satisfaction with his run, especially considering a slight deviation from the optimal racing line in the middle section. The Swiss skier’s victory further solidified his position as a top contender for the super-G title at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina.
Following the race, Odermatt gestured to emphasize the close margin of victory and shared a light-hearted moment with von Allmen, who humorously feigned strangling his victorious teammate in good spirits. The Swiss duo’s success also overshadowed the strong performances of Austrian skiers Stefan Babinsky and Raphael Haaser, who finished in third and fourth place, respectively, trailing behind Odermatt and von Allmen.
In the super-G standings, Odermatt extended his lead over former world champion Vincent Kriechmayr, with a substantial 158-point advantage as they head into the final three races following the Olympic Games. Notably, Canadian skier Cam Alexander achieved the top Canadian result, securing an 11th-place finish, while his compatriot Jack Crawford settled for 21st place.
Odermatt’s triumph in Kitzbuhel brought him closer to Hermann Maier’s third-place position on the men’s World Cup all-time race winners list, with the Swiss skier now boasting 17 super-G victories, matching Aksel Lund Svindal’s career total. However, Maier’s record of 24 super-G wins remains unmatched, with the legendary Swedish skier Ingemar Stenmark holding the top spot with 86 victories.
Despite the competitive action on the slopes, there were also incidents of note, including a dramatic crash by Swiss racer Arnaud Boisset on the Seidlalm jump. Additionally, Norwegian skier Adrian Smiseth Sejersted narrowly avoided a fall after hitting a gate, demonstrating remarkable agility to secure a fifth-place finish. Meanwhile, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde of Norway opted to sit out due to back pain, a precautionary measure as he aims to recover fully before the next World Cup race in Crans-Montana, the final event preceding the Winter Olympics.