KVITFJELL, Norway — Showcasing his remarkable skiing prowess once again, Italian Dominik Paris claimed victory in a World Cup race for the second time in just three days. On Sunday, Paris managed to outpace the competition in a super-G event, held on a fog-shortened course, after snagging a win in the downhill race on Friday.
The victory was notable as Paris achieved a significant lead in a closely contested race. Contrary to the close margins, where the top 25 racers were tight within a one-second range following James Crawford, the reigning world champion from Canada, Paris eclipsed expectations with an impressive performance. He crossed the finish line 0.38 seconds ahead of Crawford and 0.47 seconds faster than Miha Hrobat, who took third place. Although the result is not yet official due to ongoing races by lower-ranked skiers, Paris’s lead stands out distinctly.
Marco Odermatt, who placed fourth on Sunday, had already secured his victory in the season-long super-G title earlier in the week. This became clear after his main competition, Mattia Casse from Italy and Paris’s teammate, was sidelined with an injury sustained during a downhill training session.
Paris, an Italian with German-speaking roots and a French-sounding surname, feels particularly comfortable on Norwegian slopes. Kvitfjell, the location for the 1994 Olympic events, is a venue where Paris thrives, demonstrated by his six World Cup wins here, including a weekend double in 2019 and a downhill win in March 2022.
Celebrating a career highlight nearly six years ago, Paris claimed seven World Cup races in a single season, won a super-G world championship gold, and secured his only World Cup crystal trophy for the season-long super-G title. Interestingly, this spurt of athletic achievement came after he spent a summer recording an album with his heavy metal band, Rise of Voltage.
Odermatt continues to dominate the super-G standings, with an unassailable 210-point lead heading into the season’s closing race on March 23 in Sun Valley, Idaho. This marks his third consecutive super-G win. In addition to this achievement, the Swiss skiing sensation holds a formidable lead of 570 points over Henrik Kristoffersen for his fourth consecutive World Cup title. With only six races remaining and 600 points up for grabs, Kristoffersen is unlikely to surpass Odermatt as he does not compete in downhill or super-G events.
Next weekend, Kristoffersen hopes to close the point gap when the men’s World Cup circuit remains in Norway, with competitions in giant slalom and slalom at the nearby Hafjell.
