Marc Rochat and Stefan Rogentin win their first World Championship medal with bronze in the combined team event. For one of them it's like redemption, for the other it's reconciliation.
12.02.2025, 18:48
13.02.2025, 10:30
SDA
Let no one say that the combined team event is of little importance. The way Marc Rochat almost broke down in the leader's chair after Alex Vinatzer's retirement and the resulting medal win, then pulled himself together and hugged his team-mate Stefan Rogentin, almost crushing him and screaming with joy - these are the kind of emotions that the FIS had hoped for when they introduced the new format to the elite world championships for the first time. And they were not disappointed on this Wednesday, which was historic for Swiss alpine ski racing.
Anyone watching the downhill skiers as their teammates crossed the finish line in the slalom race could see the look on their faces. Many were more nervous watching than before their own run, they said afterwards. Rogentin was no exception.
"It was fate"
The 30-year-old from Graubünden was part of the "Switzerland 4" team and laid the foundations for winning the bronze medal in the downhill in the morning - even if the speed specialist was not entirely satisfied with his time: "I would have liked to have been three or four tenths faster. But it was fate, it had to be like this."
Fate, because his team-mate Rochat could only take positives from the positioning: "It was perfect. I've finished 8th several times in salt races. I knew it was a perfect starting position after the TV break and the slides." He was extremely calm at the start because he knew that he could go faster than the others in such conditions.
Difficult season, botched World Championships
The fact that Rochat had this certainty is not to be taken for granted. The 32-year-old from Vaud is going through a difficult season. Ranked number 9 in the world last winter, this winter saw a break. Rochat was eliminated in the first four slaloms and in the fifth he missed out on qualifying for the second run in 44th place. His supposed redemption came in Adelboden with 10th place. However, he fell back into his old patterns with 25th, 20th and 21st place. It is all the more remarkable that he not only withstood his own pressure, but also that of his team-mate.
For Rochat, who will be competing in the slalom on Sunday, bronze is not just a relief. The precious metal could serve as an initial spark, not only for the World Ski Championships, but also for the rest of the season. For Rogentin, on the other hand, the medal is a late reconciliation with the World Championships. In the speed races, things did not go according to plan for the man from Graubünden with 9th and 12th place. But now he can leave the place where he celebrated his only World Cup victory to date a year ago at the season finale with a good feeling.
"Team Reserve" strikes back
While "Switzerland 1" with Franjo von Allmen and Loïc Meillard fully lived up to their role as favorites with gold, "Switzerland 2" with Alexis Monney and Tanguy Nef also withstood the pressure. To be honest, "Switzerland 4" was not one of the first to be named when it came to awarding the medals. But they were certainly outsiders who could pose a threat to the competition.
"Team Reserve", "Team Röstigraben", the two joked about their role after the race. There was no sign of either on the day, even though the duo could not have been more different. On the one hand, the extroverted and emotional Rochat, the French-speaking Swiss who wears his heart on his sleeve and pushes himself to the limit in every race, often even beyond it. On the other side is the calm Rogentin, the speed specialist from Lenzerheide, who not only chooses his words carefully, but also his risk management.
But the two now have one thing in common. The first World Championship medal. One that may be bronze, but shines like gold.
