Marco Odermatt looks like a sure winner for a long time in the Super-G on the Saslong. But the season's dominator is caught late on by the surprise man Jan Zabystran from the Czech Republic.
19.12.2025, 17:18
19.12.2025, 17:32
SDA
The man from Nidwalden, who is used to winning and in whose honor the Swiss Psalm has already sounded five times this season, was "logically a little annoyed" about missing out on his 51st World Cup victory, as he said in the SRF interview. Because he had managed a "super run with number 8 - at a time when it was still very dark. I got the best out of it for me."
Skiing close to the limit
Odermatt, however, did not want to talk about the conditions, which traditionally get better in Val Gardena/Gröden as the sun comes out for those who start later. Jan Zabystran was "faster from start to finish. He deserved to win. But of course: I would also have liked to have taken the win."
Odermatt only briefly mourned his mistake in the last, rather flatter section of the course, as he was clearly pushing himself to the limit. This cost him the decisive tenths in the battle for victory, but at the same time "I could have missed the gate there, then I would have been completely lost". The result was second place, which earned him 80 points.
The four-time overall World Cup winner thus significantly extended his lead in the battle for the big crystal globe. Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen, who does not compete in speed races, is already 383 points behind Odermatt after just under a third of the season.
Changed conditions compared to Thursday
When asked about Saturday's downhill (start at 11.45 am), which will be held on the original course with the long gliding turns in the top section, the super-G runner-up said: "I will certainly have to take another good look." The snow in the upper section will be very aggressive, in the lower section it will be icy and very fast, which is why the jumps will go very far, according to Odermatt's assessment.
The Nidwalden native said in the SRF interview that it was important to ski "concentrated and well". The last of three races on the Saslong within three days "cannot be compared" with the downhill on Thursday, which Odermatt won on a shortened course.
Von Allmen with a guardian angel
Franjo von Allmen, second behind Odermatt on Thursday, was lucky despite another super-G zero. The 24-year-old from the Bernese Oberland, who had already crashed two weeks ago in Beaver Creek, was also eliminated in Val Gardena/Gröden.
The downhill world champion was only out on the Saslong for a short time because he took a jump "completely wrong" (von Allmen) just a few seconds after the start. However, the fall took a mild course, von Allmen remained uninjured and said afterwards in the SRF interview: "Everything was okay, I had a good guardian angel."
