As usual, the men will be competing in the last two World Cup races of the year in Bormio. The "Stelvio" slope, which will host the 2026 Olympic races, is as legendary as it is feared.
28.12.2024, 08:00
28.12.2024, 08:16
SDA
It is already very present, the flag with the five intertwined rings. The Olympic symbols are always prominently displayed, especially along the main road through the tranquil village in the upper Valtellina, which has a population of just over 4,000. One senses that in just over a year's time, a state of emergency will reign here in the middle of the valley basin not far from the Swiss border. That's when all the men's Olympic alpine skiing races will take place in Bormio.
For the athletes, this is still of secondary importance at the moment. "The focus is on the races this weekend and then on the rest of the season. The Olympics are still a long way off for me," said Franjo von Allmen, for example. However, after the serious training crash of Frenchman Cyprien Sarrazin, downhill winner in 2023, there were some voices referring to the Winter Games.
"If the piste is prepared like this at the Winter Games, none of the exotic skiers will be able to get down," said Stefan Rogentin, alluding to the fact that less experienced skiers will also be able to compete at the Olympic Games. Frenchman Nils Allègre also referred to the difficult snow conditions and doubled down: "With a slope like this, they don't deserve the Olympics."
Lots of emotions around Bormio
Bormio still has some making up to do anyway. After all, the last major event, the 2005 World Championships, was marked by organizational difficulties. Due to the high ticket prices, fans largely stayed away and there was hardly any atmosphere for a long time. The RAI television strike, which led to the giant slalom having to be postponed by a day at short notice, is also unforgettable. From a Swiss perspective, the World Championships were also a sporting debacle: for the first and only time since the 1966 World Championships in Portillo (Chile), Swiss Ski failed to win a medal.
Bormio was briefly dropped from the World Cup program after 2013. The organizers no longer wanted to hold the races, which had almost always been held in the week of the old year since 1993, because they were missing out on important income from tourism during this time. Since 2017, the races have been held regularly again, but this was not only met with joy.
Even without the difficulties with the preparation, the slope in the Stelvio National Park triggers many emotions among the athletes. "It's simply a brutal race," said Justin Murisier, who will be competing in his fourth World Cup downhill in Bormio on Saturday.
The slope actually suits the soon-to-be 33-year-old, who finished seventh in 2022 and even fourth last year. But he's still not a fan. "Unfortunately, you don't see on TV how difficult the race is. We athletes often talk about 'survival' when we get to the bottom. While other races are about being the fastest, in Bormio you just have to somehow stay on your feet."
One of the few who drew a positive conclusion after the two training sessions was Marco Kohler: "Of course it's 'bumpy' on the track and you have to fight against the line," said the 27-year-old from Bern. "But that can also be fun."
Only one Swiss downhill victory in the World Cup
For years, the downhill has had the reputation of being the most difficult in the World Cup. This is also confirmed by World Cup leader Marco Odermatt: "You come here knowing full well that it's not going to be a Christmas vacation. It's a fight for survival. You might have a brief good feeling when you cross the finish line and know that you've made it through reasonably well. But otherwise there's not much cool from start to finish."
And this from a skier who has already stood on the podium four times in Bormio. Odermatt came second twice in the downhill and won the super-G in 2022 and 2023. Thanks to the man from Nidwalden, the Swiss record in Bormio was improved somewhat, but overall it is rather below average despite a few podium places.
There has only been one Swiss victory in 31 World Cup downhill races on the "Stelvio": Didier Défago triumphed ahead of his team-mate Patrick Küng in 2011. Dominik Paris, the "King of Bormio" with a total of seven victories (six in the downhill, one in the super-G), prevented a Swiss downhill triumph three times: in the two races in 2019 he won ahead of Beat Feuz, then ahead of Urs Kryenbühl, and in 2021 he narrowly left Odermatt behind.
Odermatt is now making his next attempt to add his name to the list of winners in the Bormio downhill. It would be a reward for the "fight for survival" and at least a small announcement with a view to February 2026.
