A ski season that could hardly have gone better from a Swiss perspective has come to an end. What follows is a colorful mix of stories that we will remember for a long time to come.
Hairstyle madness of the Swiss speed cracks
The Swiss speed skiers shave the competition throughout the season - and their own heads at the World Championships in Saalbach. After the downhill, where Franjo von Allmen takes gold and team-mate Alexis Monney bronze, the whole team appears at the award ceremony with new hair.
Swiss triple victories in the men's race
In mid-March, Loïc Meillard wins the giant slalom in Hafjell ahead of Marco Odermatt and Thomas Tumler. Only once before had the Swiss celebrated a triple victory in this discipline - in 1983 in Adelboden, Pirmin Zurbriggen won ahead of Max Julen and Jacques Lüthy. The Swiss have already achieved two total triumphs this season in the downhill races in Crans-Montana and Kvitfjell. The previous record was two triple victories in one year (1992, 1987 and 1982).
Even before that, the Swiss had already cleaned up in grand style at the World Championships, with six Swiss athletes on the podium in the team combined on February 12 - a triple victory the likes of which had never been seen before.
February 12, 2025: At the World Championships, the Swiss team combination skiers clean up in style. Silver goes to Tanguy Nef and Alexis Monney, gold to Loïc Meillard and Franjo von Allmen, bronze to Stefan Rogentin and Marc Rochat.
Image: Keystone
February 22, 2025: Franjo von Allmen (center) wins the downhill in Crans-Montana ahead of Marco Odermatt (right) and Alexis Monney.
Image: Keystone
March 8, 2025: Franjo von Allmen wins the downhill in Kvitfjell again ahead of Marco Odermatt. Stefan Rogentin (right) comes third.
Image: Keystone
March 15, 2025: Loïc Meillad (center) wins the giant slalom in Hafjell ahead of Marco Odermatt and Thomas Tumler.
Image: Keystone
February 12, 2025: At the World Championships, the Swiss team combination skiers clean up in style. Silver goes to Tanguy Nef and Alexis Monney, gold to Loïc Meillard and Franjo von Allmen, bronze to Stefan Rogentin and Marc Rochat.
Image: Keystone
February 22, 2025: Franjo von Allmen (center) wins the downhill in Crans-Montana ahead of Marco Odermatt (right) and Alexis Monney.
Image: Keystone
March 8, 2025: Franjo von Allmen wins the downhill in Kvitfjell again ahead of Marco Odermatt. Stefan Rogentin (right) comes third.
Image: Keystone
March 15, 2025: Loïc Meillad (center) wins the giant slalom in Hafjell ahead of Marco Odermatt and Thomas Tumler.
Image: Keystone
Lara Gut-Behrami makes history
It's not just the Swiss men who delivered, the women were also successful. First and foremost Lara Gut-Behrami, who took second place in the overall World Cup behind Federica Brignone and secured the Super-G globe - for the 6th time in her career. A record! After her amazing run in the super-G, she also wins the giant slalom in the season finale, her 100th podium finish. And she is the first skier to have at least 10 wins in each of three disciplines. It's amazing what the 33-year-old from Ticino has been achieving for years. Things don't go quite as planned at the World Championships, but she doesn't leave empty-handed. Together with Wendy Holdener, she takes silver in the team combined.
Sarrazin's horror crash
Frenchman Cyprien Sarrazin, one of the few who can regularly hold a candle to the Swiss, crashes horribly in December during the second training run for the World Cup downhill in Bormio. In March, at his first public appearance, he says: "It feels like a miracle that I recovered so well and so quickly." It is not even clear whether he will return to the ski circus. But it could have all ended much worse: "I almost died."
The unfortunate comeback of Marcel Hirscher
In 2019, Marcel Hirscher ended his career as an eight-time overall World Cup winner, winner of twelve small crystal globes, seven-time world champion and two-time Olympic champion. His comeback in October 2024, but under a new flag. Hirscher wants to hunt for points for the Netherlands and no longer for Austria. He actually scored a few points, but the big coup failed to materialize. Then came the shock in December: Hirscher tore his cruciate ligament in training and his season was ruined! Will he ever return? Doubtful!
Lindsey Vonn shuts critics up
Lindsey Vonn, one of the best female skiers in history, is also making her comeback in the women's event. However, she is receiving criticism from many quarters who are concerned about her health. Much to the annoyance of the US American. She shows right from the start that she can still be fast, but she lacks consistency. In her last race of the season, she finally silences all her critics: In the super-G in Sun Valley, she raced to second place behind the outstanding Lara Gut-Behrami. It was her first podium finish since March 2018. At 40, she is now by far the oldest podium racer in the ski circus. The record was previously held by Alexandra Meissnitzer, who came third in the Bormio Super-G in the 2007/08 season at the age of 34.
Austrians narrowly escape the Super-Gau
The women take four World Cup victories, three of which go to Cornelia Hütter. The men, however, didn't even make it to the top of the podium. In comparison: the Swiss men celebrate 17 victories. Then redemption at the season finale: Lukas Feurstein wins ahead of compatriot Raphael Haaser. The record in the downhill remains disastrous: 0 podium places at the end of the season. At the home World Championships, however, the Ösi men put in appealing performances: Haaser (super-G) and Kriechmayr (downhill) win silver and Haaser secures gold in the giant slalom.
First podium places for Brazil and Albania
The Norwegian Lucas Pinheiro Braathen took a year off and then returned to the World Cup as a Brazilian. In Adelboden, he took the first podium place for his mother's home country in the slalom. Two more podium places followed.
They also celebrate their first World Cup podium in Albania in November. On November 23, one week after her 18th birthday, Lara Colturi finishes second in the slalom in Gurgl. In January and March, she also races onto the podium in the giant slalom. However, the two nations are still waiting for their first victory.
The big performance of the little Bulgarian
27-year-old Albert Popov has been in the business for a long time, but it has never been enough for the really big coup. That all changed on January 8, 2025, when the 1.64-metre-tall Popov was the greatest in the slalom in Madonna di Campiglio. He won the first Bulgarian World Cup victory in 45 years. The triumph is all the more remarkable when you know Popov's life story - a story that almost ended tragically at the age of 18.
Kristoffersen quarrels with Yule
It's hard to forget how Henrik Kristoffersen tried to attack a climate activist in the pre-season, but the Norwegian hothead also got into a row from time to time in 2024/25. In Val d'Isère, he clashed with Daniel Yule. Kristoffersen came to the start number draw shouting loudly because the giant slalom was considered scandalous. "I told him to stop complaining for once," explains Yule in Blick: "Henrik then shouted 'Fuck you, Daniel' twice! That's just the way he is, Henrik." The next day, Kristoffersen won the slalom and, a few months later, the small crystal globe. That's just the way he is, Henrik!
Tamara Zubcic steals the show from her brother
When Filip Zubcic is at the start, the cameras are always on his sister Tamara, who is part of the Croatian support team. SRF expert Marc Berthod has the right line up his sleeve during the World Championships ...
Shiffrin sings a song for her sweetheart
Aleksander Aamodt Kilde crashes badly in Wengen in January 2024, missing not only the rest of that season, but also the entire 2024/25 season, which has now come to an end. Always there for him, his fiancée, Mikaela Shiffrin. In November, she sings a love song for Kilde that not only warms his heart. The post earned over 30,000 hearts on Instagram. And we ask ourselves: is there anything this woman can't do? Incidentally, she ends the season with a victory in the slalom. It's her 101st triumph in the World Cup. Simply world class!
SRF presenter makes us laugh
SRF presenter Marc Lüscher is called in for a segment during the World Ski Championships. Because he makes a promise, he literally shakes himself. The scene goes viral and makes people laugh.
