In January, Marco Odermatt wins the Lauberhorn downhill for the first time thanks to an outstanding run. A good six months later, he returns to the scene of his triumph in different conditions.
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- In January, Marco Odermatt wins his first two World Cup downhill races on the Lauberhorn, thus fulfilling a dream.
- Now the man from Nidwalden returns to Wengen and inspects the course in summer temperatures. Nevertheless, he recognizes the key sections without any problems.
After eight second and three third places, Marco Odermatt finally achieves his first downhill victory in the World Cup last January. On a shortened course on the Lauberhorn, the man from Nidwalden puts the competition in their place in front of a home crowd - and then does it again two days later on the original course.
A good six months later, the 26-year-old returns to the scene of his triumph with his partner Garaventa. "It's always rewarding when you cross the finish line, have a good feeling and then look at the time board and see the big lead of over 2.5 seconds," Odermatt remembers fondly. "Of course, those are extremely nice emotions and I knew straight away that it would be difficult to beat that."
"I hope it gets whiter again soon"
With the prestigious Lauberhorn victory, Odermatt has fulfilled a dream. "There are three big classics for me: Adelboden, Wengen and Kitzbühel. The atmosphere is different at these venues," he says, underlining the importance of the Lauberhorn races. "In Wengen, it's the panorama that stands out. Now in summer, but also in winter when you're standing in the starting gate. The Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau - you won't find this panorama anywhere else in the world. That's what makes this place so special."
Odermatt also finds it special to visit the course in summer temperatures. "Everything looks different in summer, but you know the key sections of the entire descent by heart. You know every meter," explains the reigning overall World Cup winner and is certain: "I could put every gate pretty much to the meter."
However, the exceptional athlete doesn't seem to feel quite so comfortable in the summer temperatures. "I hope it gets whiter again soon, although the mountains look beautiful," says Odermatt. "But yes, it's a lot quieter and more comfortable today than it will be in winter."
