Justin Murisier flies over the "Birds of Prey"
Image: Keystone
Marco Odermatt doesn't manage a perfect run, but 2nd place is still enough for the man from Nidwalden
Image: Keystone
Frenchman Cyprien Sarrazin loses a good second to Murisier
Image: Keystone
Justin Murisier flies over the "Birds of Prey"
Image: Keystone
Marco Odermatt doesn't manage a perfect run, but 2nd place is still enough for the man from Nidwalden
Image: Keystone
Frenchman Cyprien Sarrazin loses a good second to Murisier
Image: Keystone
The Swiss alpine racers are likely to start the speed season with a double victory. Justin Murisier leads the World Cup downhill in Beaver Creek after 30 racers ahead of Marco Odermatt.
06.12.2024, 20:46
06.12.2024, 20:57
SDA
Murisier, who has gradually shifted his focus from giant slalom to the speed disciplines in recent years, was two tenths faster in perfect weather and slope conditions than Odermatt, who was the big favorite after convincing training sessions and the downhill crystal globe in the previous winter. Third place was also surprisingly taken by Miha Hrobat from Slovenia, who started the race with bib number 1, 35 hundredths behind.
Vincent Kriechmayr and Cyprien Sarrazin, Odermatt's first regular challengers, are in 5th and 9th place respectively. The Frenchman Sarrazin, who was on a par with Odermatt in the downhill last season, is clearly the runner-up, one second behind the best time.
Under the watchful eye of the injured Aleksander Kilde, who was present, Murisier conjured up a run in the snow with the number 3, which the competition has so far been fighting tooth and nail to beat. The 32-year-old from Valais, who has been slowed down by several serious knee injuries in his career, took some time off the favorites, especially on the flat top section of the course.
He managed an excellent ride. This was after he had been very slow in training in Copper Mountain last week, said the emotionally overwhelmed Murisier in his first reaction to the SRF microphone.
If the result holds, the former giant slalom and combined specialist Murisier will not only celebrate his first downhill victory in Beaver Creek, but also his first success in the World Cup. His best result to date is 3rd place in the giant slalom in Alta Badia in 2020. His best result in the downhill is 4th place a year ago in Bormio.
Murisier's buddy Odermatt missed out on victory, but still made up for his failure in Sölden in the first speed race of the winter. In the giant slalom on the Rettenbach glacier, the overall World Cup winner of the last three seasons was eliminated at the end of October after posting strong intermediate times.
The race was interrupted for a while after 26 racers due to a heavy fall by Arnaud Boisset into the safety nets. Nothing is yet known about the 26-year-old Swiss skier's state of health.
Two more men's races are on the program this weekend in Beaver Creek - a super-G on Saturday (18:30 Swiss time) and a giant slalom on Sunday (18:00/21:00).
