Marco Odermatt returns to the scene of his first World Cup triumph. In Beaver Creek, he also wants to win the downhill crown for the first time this year. The signs are good.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- The new men's speed season kicks off this weekend in Beaver Creek. A downhill is on the program on Friday and a super-G on Saturday.
- Marco Odermatt celebrated his first World Cup victory in the super-G in Beaver Creek in 2019. The man from Nidwalden has never won the downhill on the Birds of Prey.
- The lack of downhill victory is also due to a 25-second gliding section on which Odermatt has not always been able to keep up with the fastest skiers in the past. And this year?
The wait is over. Friday sees the start of the new speed season with the men's downhill in Beaver Creek, before the first super-G of the World Cup winter is on the program on Saturday. For Marco Odermatt, it is a return to the place where he celebrated his very first World Cup victory in the super-G in 2019.
However, the downhill triumph on the Birds of Pray is still missing from the Nidwalden native's impressive palmares. This is also due to the 25-second gliding section in the first part of the course, which does not suit the overall World Cup winner of the past season.
"Especially for us technicians, who train a lot of giant slalom on hard and watered slopes, where everything works via the blade pressure, the very fine gliding is certainly something that is missing a little," says Odermatt in an interview with "Blick".
Conditions for Odermatt?
Nevertheless, the exceptional skier was only a measly six hundredths of a second off the winner Aleksander Kilde two years ago. The fact that the injured Norwegian will not be competing this year is just one of the reasons why Odermatt will not be making his debut on Friday.
Another is the condition of the course. FIS Head of Speed Hannes Trinkl has assured us these days that the course has been heavily treated with water. This is to prevent the slope from being too soft for the race, as was the case last year - which was criticized by Swiss Ski at the time.
"Beaver Creek is known for having almost the best slope in the World Cup. It's extremely nice to ski here. It's always cold and dry. That's why the piste dries out again quickly - and that's why it's good that there's enough water in it," says Odermatt, pleased with the current conditions.
"The downhill is becoming more and more important for me"
However, the 37-time World Cup winner is not focusing on the gliding section. "Especially in the downhill, you can't always be fast in every section of the course. You either adjust your set-up for the first, flat section, or rather for the steep slope," explains Odermatt and clarifies: "With my technical qualities, I want to make sure that I can apply them in the steep slope. But of course, you can't lose the race at the top."
If he manages to keep up with the fastest racers in the upper section, the 27-year-old is likely to set the fastest time. "The last few days have been great," says Odermatt, who attaches great importance to the triumph on the Birds of Pray: "Every race that you win is nice. But the downhill is becoming more and more important for me in the medium and long term. If you have fewer victories, the downhill victories logically have more value. That's a big goal."
