After his fifth victory in Adelboden, Marco Odermatt talks about the uniqueness of the Chuenisbärgli and his flair for difficult conditions.
10.01.2026, 17:26
10.01.2026, 17:30
SDA
Marco Odermatt, you can see it in your face: Winning in Adelboden is always nice.
"Definitely. It's a highlight every year. This atmosphere, these emotions, it only happens once a year. No Olympic Games, no Wengen, come close to that. To be the last to cross the finish line here and win is the greatest thing. I hope I can do it again next year, not because of the series, but because it's simply the greatest."
Every victory has its own story. What is the story of this one? Is it the complicated conditions?
"The conditions were certainly special. And at the same time, you have to say: the slope was sensational, more consistent than ever. A big compliment to the slope crew! It was really cool to ski. The visibility was difficult, but if you know that the surface is consistent, you can still attack, even with the last number."
Once again you have proven that difficult conditions suit you.
"Skiing is a winter sport. When it snows and it's winter, I enjoy it and see it as a challenge. And when it's a bit more difficult, that suits me. I had my plan for the second run, tried to implement it and it worked quite well except for the first three gates. The other racers in the top places were about the same speed."
The snowfall increased during the second run.
"I noticed that after about the tenth rider. I'm not happy about it, but as an athlete you ignore it. At a certain point, you concentrate on yourself and stop looking at what the weather is doing."
It is said that the conditions for this race were more difficult than they have been for a long time in the World Cup. Was it also something of a homecoming in terms of the slope conditions?
"You can see it that way. You saw it again today: If a good foundation is laid in the week before the race, nothing can really happen on race day. It can rain, be warm, windy or snowy and you still have a good, fair race. I think that has to be the standard and requirement in the World Cup. If we'd had the preparation of the previous races and this change in the weather, we probably wouldn't have had a race today."
After the victory, you gave your service man Chris Lödler a big hug. He also seems to have found the right formula.
"Once again, the setup was really good today. It allows you to attack and do exactly what you want. It delivers the performance I've been delivering for years."
