After second place in the downhill, victory in the super-G: Marco Odermatt takes 180 points from the weekend in Crans-Montana and must remember that this is not normal.
23.02.2025, 18:50
SDA
For many alpine skiers, standing on the podium is an exploit. For Marco Odermatt, it is expected. And not only that: if he even just misses the podium, as he did in the World Championship downhill (5th) or in the World Championship giant slalom (4th), then it is generally considered almost an unsatisfactory performance. At least in the Austrian media, Odermatt's performance in Saalbach was described as "modest" despite his World Championship gold in the super-G, and in one newspaper even as a flop. If "Odi" remains without a medal, that's the headline.
So it's no wonder that Odermatt repeatedly called for a return to reality this weekend in Crans-Montana: "We have to make sure that our performances are not taken for granted." This applies within the team with the coaches, but above all to the outside world, the fans and the media. The current series of Swiss successes, which continued in Crans-Montana with a triple success on Saturday and a double success on Sunday, is anything but normal.
Odermatt removes all doubts
The special circumstances before Crans-Montana must also be taken into account. Odermatt and his teammates hardly had time to process the World Championships with all their emotions. In addition to the well-deserved celebrations, the successful Swiss had to attend numerous mandatory meetings with the media and sponsors and hardly had a minute's peace. Odermatt had just four days to catch his breath at home.
On Thursday evening, Odermatt admitted that he still had no "inner tension" at all. The training results of 36th and 19th place were not an alarm signal for Odermatt; he usually takes a relaxed approach to the test runs. His statement that the Nationale piste in Crans-Montana is the easiest World Cup downhill he has ever skied was more worrying. That doesn't usually play into the technician's hands. And so a residual uncertainty remained as to whether Odermatt would find his racing form again in time on the slope that was not ideal for him. The 27-year-old from Nidwalden answered this question impressively.
Making friends with Crans-Montana
When Odermatt was assigned starting number 15 for the super-G on Saturday evening, he was skeptical and feared slushy conditions. But the sun only appeared briefly on Sunday in Crans-Montana and Odermatt was one of the few racers to benefit from slightly better visibility. In addition, Odermatt complimented the organizers, saying that the piste was very well prepared. Even with higher numbers, fast runs were still possible. The now 45-time World Cup winner was able to draw a positive conclusion from his performance in Crans-Montana after initially being cautiously enthusiastic. The 2027 World Championships seem to be under a good star for him.
The same applies to the rest of the 2024/25 season. Odermatt could win the quartet of globes comprising the overall standings, downhill, super-G and giant slalom for the second time in a row. "The globes mean even more to me than the World Championship medals, because they show that you've been the best over an entire season," says Odermatt. In the overall standings and in the super-G, he is almost certain to win, while Odermatt leads the downhill and giant slalom by 73 and 71 points respectively. A record that is anything but self-evident, even for the best ski racer of the moment.
