The big check for the World Ski Championships Medal chances in all disciplines - this is how well positioned Switzerland is for the World Championships

Sandro Zappella

4.2.2025

Loïc Meillard and Marco Odermatt at the last World Championships in Courchevel/Méribel in 2023.
Loïc Meillard and Marco Odermatt at the last World Championships in Courchevel/Méribel in 2023.
KEYSTONE

The Swiss delegation can travel to the World Ski Championships in Saalbach with a lot of confidence. It has several podium racers at the start in all disciplines. The big overview.

No time? blue News summarizes for you

  • Many Swiss skiers are among the favorites at the World Championships in Saalbach.
  • It's not just superstars like Marco Odermatt or Lara Gut-Behrami who are hoping for a medal. The Swiss line-up also promises plenty of opportunities for precious metal across the board.
  • Find out which athletes have a chance in which disciplines and how the main rehearsal in Saalbach went here in blue Sport's big World Championships check.

The World Ski Championships begin today, Tuesday, with the team event. From Thursday, the classic disciplines will be on the program. But which Swiss athletes have a good chance in which races*? blue Sport has the big overview.

Previews with Swiss trump cards and favorites are only available for the disciplines that are also on the World Cup calendar. So super-G, downhill, giant slalom and slalom.

Super-G women
Thursday, February 6, 11:30 a.m.

The biggest Swiss trump cards

 

1st in the discipline ranking

Lara Gut Behrami

The Ticino native is the big favorite for a medal in the World Championship Super-G. The leader in the discipline World Cup has finished on the podium four times in five super-Gs this season. However, she only took one victory and three second places.

 

8th in the discipline rankings

Corinne Suter

In Cortina d'Ampezzo in January, Suter took a podium place in the super-G with 3rd place. However, she is not one of the big favorites in the super-G.

The international favorites

The two Italians Federica Brignone and Sofia Goggia are hard to beat on a good day. The Austrian Cornelia Hütter has also won a super-G this season, as has the American Lauren Macuga. Norwegian Kaja Vickhoff Lie is also a podium racer and always among the front runners.

The results of the World Cup final in Saalbach 2024

🥇 Ester Ledecka (CZE)

🥈 Federica Brignone (ITA)

🥉 Kajsa Vickhoff Lie (NOR)

7th Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI)

12th Michelle Gisin (SUI)

19th Jasmina Suter (SUI)

Super-G men
Friday, February 7, 11:30 am

The biggest Swiss trump cards

 

1st in the discipline ranking

Marco Odermatt

The big favorite for the world championship title. He has won two super-Gs this winter and has stood on the podium once more. The Nidwalder has yet to win a world championship medal in the super-G.

 

3rd in the discipline rankings

Stefan Rogentin

Ranks 26, 5, 4, 3 and 3 speak for themselves. Stefan Rogentin has improved in the super-G this season and took a podium place in Wengen and Kitzbühel. The man from Graubünden will also be a force to be reckoned with in Saalbach. Rogentin won the super-G at the main rehearsal in the World Cup final last year.

 

6th in the discipline ranking

Franjo von Allmen

He won the super-G in Wengen and also showed strong performances in Bormio (6th) and Kitzbühel (4th). With his ease and form, anything is possible for him.

 

8th in the discipline rankings

Alexis Monney

The fourth Swiss super-G podium racer this season. Thanks to his third place in Bormio, he will probably get the World Championship starting place at the expense of Justin Murisier. The latter was more consistent, but without an absolute top result.

The international favorites

Vincent Kriechmayr is in second place in the discipline rankings thanks to two second places, but the Austrian was injured in Wengen and is unlikely to be in top form at his home World Championships. The young Norwegian Frederik Möller (4th, 4th, and 1st) has already made his mark and the Italian Mattia Casse also has a victory to his name.

The results of the World Cup final in Saalbach 2024

🥇 Stefan Rogentin (SUI)

🥈 Loic Meillard (SUI)

Arnaud Boisset (SUI)

5th Marco Odermatt (SUI)

8th Gino Caviezel (SUI)

Downhill women
Saturday, February 8, 11:30 am

The biggest Swiss trump cards

 

4th in the discipline ranking

Lara Gut Behrami

Lara Gut-Behrami has not yet performed 100 percent to her liking in the downhill this season. Her best results so far have been 3rd, 4th and 5th place. The 33-year-old has already won bronze twice and silver once in World Championship downhill races - the only thing missing is gold ...

 

8th in the discipline rankings

Corinne Suter

So far, Corinne Suter's winter has been a run of improvement in the downhill. The highlight so far was her third place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. She has already won Olympic and World Championship gold in the supreme discipline and we know that she is ready when it counts.

 

13th in the discipline ranking

Malorie Blanc

In her very first World Cup downhill, Blanc skied to a sensational second place in St. Anton. Naturally, this puts her on the list of co-favorites for the World Championships. But expectations of the 21-year-old should not be too high.

The international favorites

Gold probably only goes to Italy. If Sofia Goggia crosses the finish line without making any major mistakes, she is as good as guaranteed a medal. But Italy has a new downhill queen: Federica Brignone. The strong technician won her first two downhill races this winter at the age of 33 and leads the discipline rankings. Conny Hütter also has a victory to her name in the downhill.

The results of the World Cup final in Saalbach 2024

🥇 Cornelia Hütter (AUT)

Ilka Stuhec (SLO)

Nicol Delago (ITA)

7th Michelle Gisin (SUI)

15th Priska Nufer (SUI)

17th Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI)

Downhill men
Sunday, February 9, 11:30 am

The biggest Swiss trump cards

 

1st in the discipline ranking

Marco Odermatt

Odermatt leads the downhill rankings thanks to two victories. In addition to the victories, there is also a second place. He did not achieve his big goal for the season, victory in Kitzbühel. He will do everything in his power to defend his title at the World Championships.

 

2nd in the discipline ranking

Franjo von Allmen

The big climber of the season. He has achieved three second places in five downhill races. His biggest rival in the downhill comes from his own camp.

 

4th in the discipline ranking

Justin Murisier

Murisier won the first downhill race of the season in Beaver Creek, thus clinching the first World Cup victory of his career at the age of 32. Since then, things have not gone so smoothly. But at least Murisier has the certainty: if things work out, anything is possible.

 

5th in the discipline rankings

Alexis Monney

The fourth Swiss in the top 5 of the downhill rankings. He too has already won a downhill race in Bormio. He also proved that he can do anything with second place on the Streif in Kitzbühel. It's unbelievable that Monney is only the fourth best Swiss downhill racer with one first and one second place. What a luxury!

The international favorites

With two third places and generally solid results, Miha Hrobat is probably the biggest threat to the Swiss. With his victory in Kitzbühel, James Crawford has also placed himself among the favorites. His Canadian compatriot Cameron Alexander has shone with two podium finishes so far.

The results of the World Cup final in Saalbach 2024

Race had to be canceled due to bad weather.

Giant slalom women
Thursday, February 13, 09:45/13:15 hrs

The biggest Swiss trump cards

 

8th in the discipline ranking

Lara Gut Behrami

Gut-Behrami was unable to start in Sölden, followed by 13th, 9th, 6th and 2nd place in the giant slalom. The current overall World Cup winner has become increasingly proficient in the giant slalom over the course of the winter. There is nothing to stop her from winning a medal at the World Championships.

 

9th in the discipline rankings

Camille Rast

In Killington, Rast finished on the podium in the giant slalom. Otherwise, she showed many solid runs, without any further outliers at the top. Rast will have more of an outsider's chance of a giant medal at the World Championships.

The international favorites

Alice Robinson from New Zealand leads the discipline rankings. She has finished on the podium four times in five races and was eliminated once. Most recently in Kronplatz, she stood at the top of the podium. The other four giant slaloms were won either by Sweden's Sara Hector or Italy's Federica Brignone. Brignone's record is particularly interesting: five races, three retirements, two victories. She also won the main test in Saalbach a year ago with a lead of 1.36 seconds. The two youngsters Lara Colturi (ALB) and Zrinka Ljutic (CRO) also have a podium to show for their efforts.

The results of the World Cup final in Saalbach 2024

🥇 Federica Brignone (ITA)

🥈 Alice Robinson (NZL)

🥉 Thea Louise Stjernesund (NOR)

10th Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI)

14th Michelle Gisin (SUI)

15th Camille Rast (SUI)

Giant slalom men
Friday, February 14, 09:45/13:15 hrs

The biggest Swiss trump cards

 

1st in the discipline ranking

Marco Odermatt

Since March 2021, Marco Odermatt has finished on the podium in every giant slalom he has competed in. The incredible statistics since then: 33 giant slaloms: 24 wins, three 2nd places, three 3rd places and three eliminations. Logically, the discipline leader goes into the World Championship giant slalom as the big favorite.

 

6th in the discipline rankings

Loïc Meillard

At the beginning of the season, a back injury (rupture in the shell of the intervertebral disc) caused him problems, especially in the giant slalom. He had to miss out in Sölden, but then got better and better and celebrated his first podium finish in Adelboden with second place behind Marco Odermatt. In Schladming he was only a hundredth of a second off 3rd place. Meillard will be a force to be reckoned with in the World Championship giant slalom.

 

8th in the discipline rankings

Thomas Tumler

Thomas Tumler has been a World Cup winner since this season. In the giant slalom in Beaver Creek, he took his first victory at the highest level at the age of 35. Otherwise, his season has been rather mixed with no further podium finishes. He needs an exploit at the World Championships to win a medal.

The international favorites

The list of possible podium candidates is long. The Norwegians Alexander Steen Olsen (victories in Sölden and Schladming) and Henrik Kristoffersen (two second places) are the biggest contenders on paper. But Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, Zan Kranjec, Patrick Feuerstein, Stefan Brennsteiner, Leo Anguenot and Luca de Aliprandini have also finished on the podium in this huge winter.

The results of the World Cup final in Saalbach 2024

🥇 Loïc Meillard (SUI)

🥈 Joan Verdu (AND)

🥉 Thomas Tumler (SUI)

6. Gino Caviezel (SUI)

Eliminated: Marco Odermatt (SUI)

Slalom women
Saturday, February 15, 09:45/13:15 hrs

The biggest Swiss trump cards

 

1st in the discipline ranking

Camille Rast

Will Rast crown her dream winter with a World Championship medal? The Valais skier's consistency is impressive: she has finished in the top 5 in all seven slaloms this winter. She won in Killington and Flachau and came third in Gurgl. Rast leads the discipline rankings and is a hot prospect when it comes to a slalom medal.

 

3rd in the discipline ranking

Wendy Holdener

Wendy Holdener has yet to win this season. The Swiss racer came close once again, taking second place a whopping three times. Holdener's slalom career is characterized by the fact that she often doesn't quite make it to the top. She has 38 podium places in the World Cup, but only two victories. She has also never won gold in the slalom at the World Championships (silver in 2017) or the Olympics (silver in 2018 and bronze in 2022). Maybe she can pull off the big coup in Saalbach. The form is already right.

 

7th in the discipline rankings

Melanie Meillard

She is a slightly slower version of Camille Rast this season. She has finished in the top 10 in all seven slaloms, but never on the podium. Three fifth places are her best results so far. Can she go one better at the World Championships?

The international favorites

Mikaela Shiffrin made her comeback in Courchevel after a long injury break. The American still struggled and finished in 10th place, more than two seconds behind, but Shiffrin is Shiffrin. The most successful female skier in history is always one of the top favorites. However, the 21-year-old Croatian Zrinka Ljutic is likely to be the gold favorite, having won three of the last four slaloms. Lena Dürr (3 podium places) as well as Katharina Liensberger, Sara Hector and Anna Swenn-Larsson, who have each finished in the top 3 twice, are also among the favorites.

The results of the World Cup final in Saalbach 2024

🥇 Mikaela Shiffrin (USA)

🥈 Mina Fürst Holtmann (NOR)

🥉 Anna Swenn-Larsson (SWE)

8th Camille Rast (SUI)

10th Michelle Gisin (SUI)

Eliminated: Melanie Meillard

Slalom men
Sunday, February 16, 09:45/13:15 hrs

The biggest Swiss trump cards

 

3rd in the discipline ranking

Loïc Meillard

Meillard has claimed four podium places this slalom winter, the only thing missing is victory. The World Championships would be the perfect moment to do so.

 

11th in the discipline rankings

Tanguy Nef

The experts agree: Tanguy Nef's podium finish is overdue. He has already come close this season. You often get the feeling that Nef could have taken even more risks. At the World Championships, the man from Geneva will definitely go all-in.

 

14th in the discipline rankings

Daniel Yule

It has not yet been Daniel Yule's winter. The Swiss record slalom winner in the World Cup has yet to finish on the podium this winter. The experience is there, the form less so - will that be enough for a World Championship medal?

The international favorites

For years, the men's slalom has probably been the most balanced discipline in the World Cup. There are many favorites, the biggest is definitely Clément Noël, who has four victories to his name this season, but also three retirements.

Norway has a whole armada of podium contenders: The leader in the slalom World Cup is Henrik Kristoffersen, who already has four podium finishes to his name, as does his compatriot Atle Lie McGrath. Timon Haugan is another Norwegian (two victories) who is capable of anything.

The results of the World Cup final in Saalbach 2024

🥇 Timon Haugan (NOR)

🥈 Manuel Feller (AUT)

🥉 Linus Strasser (GER)

4th Loïc Meillard (SUI)

6th Marc Rochat (SUI)

14th Luca Aerni (SUI)

16th Daniel Yule (SUI)

Eliminated: Lenz Hächler (SUI)

Video from the department