Odermatt's first Streif First victory in Kitzbühel with a measured risk

SDA

24.1.2025 - 18:28

Marco Odermatt's victory in the super-G in Kitzbühel is the perfect dress rehearsal for Saturday. The man from Nidwalden hopes that he now also knows the recipe for victory in the downhill classic on the Streif.

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Odermatt spoke in the winner's interviews of "probably the most important Super-G victory of my career". The 27-year-old admitted that it "definitely didn't feel like the perfect run. But it was a great race from me, and above all a clever one."

Smart because it was already clear to him during the inspection a good two and a half hours before the start of the race that he would need a tactically intelligent drive to win on this day. "That's why I only skied with 90 and not 100 percent risk today. At one gate, where unfortunately so many crashes happened, I chose a more rounded line. In the traverse, I also took an unnecessarily long turn," says Odermatt.

This ride with a measured risk meant that the winner was not the fastest on any of the five sections. "But I was the fastest from start to finish," said the World Cup dominator himself.

The appeal of the super-G

When asked about the many crashes, which once again fueled the discussion about the safety of the racers, the 44-time World Cup winner admitted that it was a "difficult course". But that is precisely what makes the super-G so appealing to him, according to the man from central Switzerland. "In this discipline, there is no training beforehand like in a downhill so that you can then go full throttle from top to bottom in the race. In the super-G, there is only one inspection, after which you have to have a tactical plan."

Marco Odermatt celebrates his first victory on the Streif after the super-G
Marco Odermatt celebrates his first victory on the Streif after the super-G
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Because his plan worked out perfectly, Odermatt will leave Kitzbühel "definitely satisfied", a certain amount of pressure has already been lifted. But of course, as Odermatt himself put into perspective in the interview in the finish area while the race was still in progress, "whether the super weekend turns into a perfect one will be decided in the downhill". But before he thinks about Saturday, he first wants to "fully absorb" the atmosphere and emotions in this special place.

"You can't overdo it"

His approach to the Hahnenkamm downhill, which he proclaimed before the season as his biggest goal for this winter, has become more concrete with the events on Friday: "When you see that again today, the respect (for the Streif) increases again." Saturday's downhill is about "skiing normally and doing what you can. You can't overdo it."

Speed boss Reto Nydegger, who returned to Swiss-Ski from the Norwegians in spring 2019, agrees with his team leader 100 percent: "Saturday is all about solid, clean runs and skiing well with calculated risk. If that works out for my skiers, then they'll certainly make it to the front. They are hot for the downhill."

However, the Swiss speed cracks have been since the start of the winter. Odermatt, Franjo von Allmen, Alexis Monney and Justin Murisier have occupied the top two positions in each of the four downhill races so far in Beaver Creek, Val Gardena/Gröden, Bormio and Wengen. A series that they are only too keen to extend on the prestigious Hahnenkamm course. Above all, of course, downhill world champion Odermatt, who would like to close the last big gap in his palmarès.

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