Quotes ahead of the home races Murisier with a challenge ++ Odermatt: "I'm not keen on the Lauberhorn record"

Luca Betschart

16.1.2025

The race weekend on the Lauberhorn starts on Friday with the Super-G. The Swiss speed specialists talked about their ambitions ahead of the competitions.

No time? blue News summarizes for you

  • "I'm not keen on this record," says Marco Odermatt at Wednesday's media conference when asked about a victory in the Lauberhorn downhill, which would equal the record held by Beat Feuz and Franz Klammer.
  • The Swiss are aiming high in Wengen. Murisier wants to finish in the "top 5 or more", Odermatt wants victory.
  • Loïc Meillard is returning to the speed slats after the super-G in Beaver Creek. He wants to give his best at the Lauberhorn.

The races on the Lauberhorn are coming up. The weather forecast is good, and the form of the Swiss speed cracks is also impressive. In the downhill, the Swiss-Ski team is dominating at will - three races, three victories. In the super-G, "Trittst im Morgenrot daher ..." ("Come in the dawn ...") rang out from the loudspeakers after one of the three competitions so far.

For the fourth serious competition in the super-G (Friday) and the downhill (Saturday), the Swiss are aiming for the top again. Marco Odermatt is one of the big favorites going into the race. The two-time Lauberhorn champion could draw level with Beat Feuz and Franz Klammer with a victory - a record.

Odermatt: "I'm not keen on this record"

But Odermatt is not interested in the possible record. He didn't even know about it in the first place. "I'm not keen on this record. There are records that are more special." The man from Nidwalden mentions the points record in the overall World Cup, which he broke in the season before last (2042 points). Nevertheless, Odermatt wants to be successful on the Lauberhorn: "Of course my goal is to win again."

Whether Odermatt is on the podium with a Swiss or another athlete is irrelevant "from an individual point of view". Nevertheless, it is nicer "when a Swiss is second than an Austrian". The 27-year-old emphasizes the strength of the Swiss speed team. That gives an extra boost of motivation.

However, the competition from abroad is tough. "Mattia Casse is in brutal form," says Odermatt. According to the overall World Cup leader, Ryan Cochran-Siegle and Vincent Kriechmayr also have a say in the Lauberhorn victory.

Justin Murisier changes the mode

Justin Murisier also wants to have a say. In the downhill in Beaver Creek, the French-Swiss racer won sensationally ahead of Odermatt, at the Lauberhorn he wants to finish in the "top 5 or more". To achieve this goal, Murisier is switching from energy-saving mode to attack mode. He was still ill last week, but he wants to attack again at the Lauberhorn.

In order to be able to fully attack on the Lauberhorn, one thing is needed above all: "Good legs", as Alexis Monney says. Last year, the Bormio winner finished in the top 10 in the shortened Lauberhorn race, and Monney is confident that he will have enough juice for the full distance.

Loïc Meillard has not competed in a speed race for some time. His last and so far only race of the season was the Super-G in Beaver Creek in December. The sticking point for Wengen: Confidence in himself. It is difficult to gain confidence when you only get a few kilometers in speed. But he wants to go all out in Wengen. "I do my best every time and that's all I can do."

Franjo von Allmen faces "special" race

The Lauberhorn races are even more of a home race for Franjo von Allmen than for the rest of the Swiss. The man from Bern grew up just under an hour's drive from Wengen in Boltigen. For him, the competitions in the Bernese Oberland are "something very special".

The euphoria surrounding the 23-year-old is huge. He finished second in the downhill races in Val Gardena/Gröden and Bormio, and the Bernese Oberland is dreaming of the first victory by a local since Bruno Kernen in 2003. Von Allmen is keeping his cool, however: "You can't expect a podium in every race. (...) I'm still very happy with a top 10 result."

Podium or not, a result in the top 10 is also something to be proud of. The Swiss delegation has big plans in Wengen. Odermatt and Co. will be cheered on by thousands of fans at the foot of the Lauberhorn. The atmosphere and the weather are likely to be at their best.

You can find out whether the Swiss speed specialists will do the same on blue News. We ticker the races live.