Marco Odermatt sees himself challenged by teammates
Image: Keystone
The top three downhill skiers of this World Cup season (from left): Franjo von Allmen, Marco Odermatt, Alexis Monney
Image: Keystone
The top three in the Super-G classification (from left): Stefan Rogentin, Marco Odermatt, Vincent Kriechmayr
Image: Keystone
Franjo von Allmen wins three times in the World Cup and is double world champion
Image: Keystone
Alexis Monney celebrates his first World Cup victory in the downhill in Bormio
Image: Keystone
Justin Murisier on his way to victory in the downhill in Beaver Creek
Image: Keystone
Marco Odermatt sees himself challenged by teammates
Image: Keystone
The top three downhill skiers of this World Cup season (from left): Franjo von Allmen, Marco Odermatt, Alexis Monney
Image: Keystone
The top three in the Super-G classification (from left): Stefan Rogentin, Marco Odermatt, Vincent Kriechmayr
Image: Keystone
Franjo von Allmen wins three times in the World Cup and is double world champion
Image: Keystone
Alexis Monney celebrates his first World Cup victory in the downhill in Bormio
Image: Keystone
Justin Murisier on his way to victory in the downhill in Beaver Creek
Image: Keystone
A conspiratorial unit is clearing the slopes in grand style as the World Cup season draws to a close. Marco Odermatt leads a team that has developed at a record-breaking pace.
25.03.2025, 11:00
SDA
It seemed to be all set. In the run-up to this World Cup winter, the expected continuation of the duel between Marco Odermatt and Cyprien Sarrazin in the downhill and super-G had generated the most attention. The Frenchman, who made meteoric progress to the top last season, was once again expected to be Odermatt's first opponent.
But fate had other plans. From one second to the next, Sarrazin was no longer a factor shortly before the turn of the year. The crash in the second training session for the downhill in Bormio and a head injury as a result meant the premature end of the rivalry between two skiers who had become friends in a very bad way.
Odermatt's renewed march through the battle for victories and crystal globes was on track, all the more so after Aleksander Kilde announced in October that he would not be racing this winter. Additional operations on his left shoulder, which the Norwegian injured when he crashed into the safety net on the finish slope of the Lauberhorn downhill, extended his convalescence.
The dominator without his biggest rivals? There was talk of a self-runner, Austria's media predicted a "gmahde Wiesn" for Odermatt, especially in the speed section. The scribblers obviously didn't expect too much from their own riders, especially not the ability to permanently stand up to the man from Nidwalden.
The rapid development
It was all about to change. Something was happening in his own ranks. Odermatt soon found himself surrounded by teammates who began to dispute his place in the sun and make it (more) difficult for him to win. Their sporting development progressed at an unprecedented speed. There were clear signs of change, and Odermatt himself was at the origin of this. He, who feels most comfortable in the individual sport of alpine skiing in a group, is an advisor, supporter and, above all, a welcome yardstick. Odermatt has become an inspiration for young and older skiers alike with his determination to focus on the common good.
The group around Odermatt has become a close-knit unit, an extremely successful one that has delivered victories and podium finishes by the meter this season and has performed better than any other Swiss-Ski alpine team. To find something similar with this breadth in the team, you have to look back in the statistics to the eighties and nineties, to the times with Pirmin Zurbriggen, Peter Müller, Franz Heinzer and Daniel Mahrer.
The figures for the great season are impressive. The Swiss won six of the eight downhill races and 17 of the 24 podium places were won by racers from our country. In the Super-G, they won four of the eight races and took a further six podium places. Four athletes have made it onto the winners' lists. In addition to Odermatt, these are Justin Murisier, Alexis Monney and Franjo von Allmen.
Whether Murisier in the autumn of his career or the upstarts Monney and Von Allmen - they have all achieved their first World Cup victories this winter. The carefree Von Allmen is completing the learning process at top speed, much faster than Odermatt in his day. After starting out in the giant slalom, the skier from central Switzerland has taken the path to speed step by step. Von Allmen decided early on to focus on the downhill and super-G.
Von Allmen has long known that he made the right decision. After just his second full season at this level, he already has three victories and two world championship titles to his name. The 23-year-old from the Bernese Oberland, who has long struggled to dampen overly high expectations, has matured in recent months into a skier who is able to compete on an equal footing with Odermatt on all slopes.
The collective advance
In addition to the aforementioned trio, Stefan Rogentin has also improved. The 30-year-old from Graubünden finished his best season to date as number 2 in the super-G and number 8 in the downhill. In the downhill, Rogentin is still "only" number 5 from a Swiss perspective. Odermatt leads the discipline rankings ahead of Von Allmen and Monney, Murisier is ranked directly ahead of Rogentin.
It goes without saying that the improvement is also reflected in the World Cup start lists. Compared to his ranking at the end of last season, Von Allmen has improved from 17th to 2nd place in the downhill, and in the super-G he has moved up from 14th to 4th place. Rogentin has moved up seven places in the downhill and is now in 9th place, in the super-G he has continued his steady advance and is now in 3rd place. Monney has made the biggest leaps forward. In the downhill, the Fribourg native has climbed from 20th to 3rd place, and in the super-G from 42nd to 10th.
Of course, the younger racers have not yet reached their zenith in their development. But the older generation also see potential for improvement, as does Odermatt despite all his successes. It will probably be the mixture that makes the difference in the near future. The prospects are encouraging. The signs for maintaining the high are good. It seems to be set.
