Career hanging by a thread The steep rise of Franjo von Allmen
Franjo von Allmen has already proven his potential on several occasions and his first victory was only a matter of time. Now he has achieved the feat in Wengen. The 23-year-old won the super-G thanks to an unleashed run ahead of veteran Vincent Kriechmayr and Stefan Rogentin.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Franjo von Allmen is one of the greatest Swiss skiing talents. On Friday, the 23-year-old won the super-G in Wengen, his first victory in the World Cup.
- Preparation for the new season did not go according to plan. An injury put him out of action for six weeks. He has finished on the podium three times in the last four races.
- His career is "well on track", says the man who is rarely seen without a big grin on his face.
- But Von Allmen doesn't only know the sunny side. When he was 17 years old, his father died and his career was hanging by a thread for financial reasons.
Beat Feuz speaks very highly of Franjo von Allmen. And the skiing legend suspected that Friday would be the day for the young Swiss with the permanent grin on his face. He had said in all his interviews that he had put Von Allmen in first place - and he also told Franjo directly, as he revealed in an interview on SRF after his sensational victory.
Of course, Franjo von Allmen had to be on everyone's radar after his recent strong performances. At the end of December, he finished 6th in the super-G in Bormio after coming second in the downhill the day before, just as he had done a week earlier in Val Gardena/Gröden.
Von Allmen himself, however, had lowered his expectations before the Lauberhorn races. "You can't expect a podium in every race now," he said at a press conference (video below). At the same time, he radiated a lot of confidence even then. You can see in every second that he enjoys what he does.
The rocky start to the new season
At the start of the season, his performances were not yet outstandingly good, which was also due to the fact that he was slowed down by an injury in September. A bone bruise on his shin and thigh bone forced him to take a break of around six weeks, during which he was not allowed to ski. It happened "privately", not during training. The 23-year-old didn't want to say much more about it at the time.
Von Allmen takes it as it is. He doesn't know how to complain. And so he fights his way back with calm and patience, bit by bit. The fact that he missed the training camp in Portillo, Chile, was regrettable. But: "Otherwise it wasn't that dramatic." There's also no point in worrying about something you can't influence. Many people just say it like that, but he also believes it.
When others hail him and shower him with praise, it seems to make him happy. But nothing more. At the beginning of the season, for example, he said that the results last winter were good, "but nothing more. That doesn't mean that things will continue like this. You shouldn't forget that this is only my second season in the World Cup".
A lot of things are still new to him and he still has to get to know the courses better. A well-known service man is helping him with this. Those responsible at his outfitter Head have put South Tyrolean Sepp Kuppelwieser, Beat Feuz's former companion, at his side.
When his career was on the brink
His career is "well on track", he said recently. He can also count on the support of the beverage company Red Bull. Because they have also recognized his huge potential. In alpine ski racing, he is the second Swiss athlete after Odermatt to benefit from a partnership that goes far beyond financial support. The athletes receive individual support there, including performance diagnostics and nutritional advice. In short: "Nothing is missing," says Franjo von Allmen. He would also have been able to count on Red Bull's support during his convalescence. However, he preferred to rebuild at home with his trusted physiotherapist and in a "very good fitness center nearby".
His collaboration with watch manufacturer Breitling also gives him financial security. And that is not insignificant. After all, he himself once went through a phase when money was tight. For sad reasons, skiing took a back seat at the time. When Franjo was 17 years old, his father, with whom he had a close relationship, died. "At that time, the continuation of my racing career was also on the brink," he once told Blick. He had to cope with his grief and raise money at the same time. "But then I was approached with the idea of launching a crowdfunding campaign. It raised so much money that I was able to finance another season. And after this season, I made the leap into the Swiss Ski squad."
A top-class run of progression
On March 4, 2023, Von Allmen then competed in the World Cup for the first time, crossing the finish line in 46th place in the downhill in Aspen. Nine months later, he scored his first World Cup points in ninth place in the super-G in Val Gardena/Gröden. It only took ten more races before Von Allmen raced onto the podium for the first time on January 28, 2024. In Garmisch-Partenkirchen, he finished third in the super-G behind Marco Odermatt and Raphael Haaser. He didn't have a good feeling about it: "Until I looked at the time board, I thought my run was really shitty, far too wild. But it was obviously fast."
On January 17, 2025, he is fast again, very fast, in fact, he is the fastest. He wins his first World Cup race in Wengen. And it was not to be his only victory. On Saturday, he is once again one of the favorites in the Lauberhorn downhill, especially as he has already finished on the podium in the last two downhill races. When asked about this, he says: "I see no reason why I shouldn't win tomorrow." He says it without appearing arrogant.
