Odermatt finally wins in Gardena as he dominates a World Cup downhill

Marco Odermatt Secures First Victory at Val Gardena

Swiss skier Marco Odermatt made history on Saturday by clinching his first-ever victory at the prestigious Saslong resort in Val Gardena, Italy. The three-time overall World Cup champion put on a dominant performance in the downhill race, outpacing his teammate Franjo von Allmen by a remarkable 0.45 seconds.

At 27 years old, Odermatt had previously achieved four podium finishes at the Italian Dolomites resort, including a strong showing in the super-G event earlier in the day. However, he had never managed to claim the top spot until now. The win was particularly sweet for Odermatt, considering the slightly slow start he had to the season by his high standards.

Upon crossing the finish line, Odermatt couldn’t contain his joy and let out several triumphant yells before raising his skis in celebration. The victory marked his 40th World Cup win, with only three of those coming in downhill events.

Before Odermatt’s run, the race had been incredibly tight, with the top three skiers separated by just 0.02 seconds. American Ryan Cochran-Siegle secured the third spot, while Nils Allegre of France narrowly missed out on a podium finish by a mere one hundredth of a second. Canadian skier Cam Alexander also put on a solid performance, finishing ninth after a fifth-place result in the super-G.

Odermatt’s win propelled him 60 points ahead of his teammate Justin Murisier in the downhill standings and 50 points above Henrik Kristoffersen in the overall rankings. The World Cup circuit now heads to Alta Badia for a giant slalom event on Sunday, followed by a slalom race the next day.

In a separate event, retired skiing legend Lindsey Vonn made a comeback at the age of 40, finishing 14th in a super-G race in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Vonn will continue her return to World Cup skiing with another super-G event in St. Moritz on Sunday.

The victory at Val Gardena marked a significant milestone in Odermatt’s career, solidifying his status as one of the top contenders in alpine skiing. His impressive performance and long-awaited triumph are sure to be remembered as a standout moment in the history of the sport.