SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM, Austria — In an impressive display of skill, Marco Odermatt captured the gold medal in the men’s super-G at the Alpine skiing world championships on Friday, affirming his reputation as the favorite ahead of the race.
The accomplished Swiss skier finished the course with a time that outpaced silver medalist Raphael Haaser by a full second. Haaser’s achievement marked the second medal for Austria, following Stephanie Venier’s success in the women’s super-G the previous day.
Norwegian Adrian Smiseth Sejersted took home the bronze, finishing 1.15 seconds behind Odermatt, marking his first medal at a major competition.
Odermatt executed a perfect run down the brilliantly sunlit Schneekristall course, and as soon as he crossed the finish line, he pointed skyward in celebration. The skier then pounded his chest and let out a triumphant shout, eliciting awe and admiration from the pro-Austrian crowd surrounding him.
“There aren’t many days or races that go as perfectly as this one. I don’t think I could have raced better than today,” said Odermatt, reflecting on his performance.
He continued to express his remarkable feeling throughout the run, saying, “From the third gate onward, I had the best feeling. My skis were performing flawlessly, enabling me to ski confidently and push my limits in this challenging super-G.”
This victory marks Odermatt’s first major super-G medal, adding to his accolades as a three-time overall World Cup champion and Olympic giant slalom champion. He previously secured titles in downhill and giant slalom at the world championships two years prior.
“It’s incredibly satisfying to also be recognized as the world champion in super-G; it’s truly remarkable,” he remarked following his win.
Having already established himself as the dominant force in the World Cup super-G standings this season, Odermatt is notably the only racer to have secured multiple victories in the discipline, with his latest win occurring in Kitzbuehel.
With this triumph, Odermatt becomes the first Swiss athlete to be crowned a super-G world champion since Didier Cuche achieved this feat in 2009.
Vincent Kriechmayr, the reigning world champion in both super-G and downhill, narrowly missed a podium finish, placing fourth—just five-hundredths of a second away from a medal. This race was notable for him as it was his first since recovering from a knee injury sustained during a crash in Wengen on January 18.
Ryan Cochran-Siegle represented the United States as the top finisher, tying for seventh place alongside Italian veteran Dominik Paris.
Canadian speed specialist James Crawford, who had previously overcome injuries to earn dozens of accolades—including a prestigious Kitzbuehel downhill title—finished the race 3.41 seconds behind the leader.
His teammate Alexander Cameron withdrew from the competition after injuring his knee during a downhill training session but is still expected to compete in Sunday’s downhill event; he had secured a bronze medal in the downhill at the world championships two years ago.
The competition was notably impacted by the absence of several prominent skiers due to injuries, including former overall World Cup champions Aleksander Aamodt Kilde and Alexis Pinturault, along with speed specialist Cyprien Sarrazin.
