Odermatt Wins Lauberhorn Downhill Before 40,000 Fans
Marco Odermatt cemented his legacy as the greatest Lauberhorn downhiller in history Saturday, dominating a wind-shortened course to claim an unprecedented fourth consecutive victory on alpine skiing's most storied piste and break the record he had shared with legends Franz Klammer and Beat Feuz.
The Swiss star crossed the finish line in 1 minute, 33.14 seconds, a remarkable 0.79 seconds ahead of Austria's Vincent Kriechmayr and nearly a full second clear of Italy's Giovanni Franzoni, who claimed third place with the 28th starting bib. The margin of victory was particularly impressive given the abbreviated course, where time gaps typically compress.
"This is my house!" a breathless Odermatt declared moments after completing his run, barely able to contain his emotion as 30,000 delirious Swiss fans roared their approval in the finish area.
Strong winds forced race organizers to start the competition from the top of the iconic Hundschopf jump rather than the traditional launch point, cutting nearly a minute from typical race times and fundamentally altering the character of the event. But the shorter course did nothing to diminish Odermatt's dominance.
Starting seventh, Odermatt knew he had work to do after teammate Franjo von Allmen had posted a strong early time. "At the start, I heard that Franjo was in the lead and I couldn't let him win again," Odermatt said. From the opening gate, he was flawless, posting the fastest times through the top three sectors and attacking aggressively through every section of the demanding course.
The 28-year-old hit 149.65 kilometers per hour by the time he reached the Haneggschuss, the course's fearsome high-speed straight, maintaining perfect precision through the treacherous Kernen-S section where he had lost time a day earlier in the super-G.
"Where I lost the race yesterday I won it today," Odermatt explained. "That's racing. If you don't take the risk, you cannot win races at this level."
Kriechmayr, a two-time Wengen winner and 2021 downhill world champion, could only shake his head and smile in the finish area as he watched Odermatt's performance. "My run was really good, maybe I will find two or three tenths, but I mean his run was impressive," the Austrian said. "Fantastic to watch him, you know. It's impressive to watch him but sometimes it could be better if he could be a little bit slower."
But second place was still a season highlight in the Downhill for Kriechmayr. Carrying the quickest speed of all out the Kernen-S, and on point throughout, it all suggests good things might be round the corner with the season’s second Downhill classic looming.
“For sure in Downhill the best run (of the season so far.),” Kriechmayr said. “Kitzbühel is coming (24 January), a big race for an Austrian, we will see what happens there.
“Kitzbühel after the Olympics is the highlight for us Austrians. I am happy to go to Kitzbühel, we will see what happens over there but for sure this guy on my left (Odermatt) will be the favourite too, but I will try my best.”
The day's drama extended beyond Odermatt's historic achievement. Franzoni thrilled the crowd by charging from the 28th starting position to claim third place, knocking von Allmen off the podium by just 0.03 seconds. The Italian had dominated both training runs and won Friday's super-G, demonstrating remarkable consistency despite the degrading snow conditions faced by later starters.
“Yesterday after the victory was difficult, I woke up at 3am and until 6am I was awake,” Franzoni said with a laugh. “Today I was happy the Downhill was shorter and not longer, better for my legs. But you know, it’s always hard because a lot of pressure after the training runs (Franzoni was quickest in both) and the victory yesterday. But when I was at the start, I saw all the crowd on the mountain and I was really, really excited for the race. And I just I just thought to have fun and to push. Having a weekend like this in Wengen is unbelievable. As I said yesterday, (it’s) the ‘home of legends’.”
The Italian is well aware he is hitting peak form at just the right moment. “I am looking forward to Kitzbühel because last year was my first in Kitzbühel and I finished 10th in Super G and 14th in Downhill. So, I think it’s actually my favourite slope. And for the Olympics I think it’s qualification (secured) for the Super G and the Downhill too. I am super excited.”
Von Allmen's fourth-place finish still highlighted Swiss depth in speed events. The 23-year-old has now placed in the top five in six of his last seven downhill races, helping Switzerland achieve an astounding 18 consecutive downhill podium finishes.
Swiss star Alexis Monney rounded out the top five, finishing just two hundredths behind von Allmen in a tightly bunched chase pack that saw only 0.17 seconds separate second through sixth place.
American Bryce Bennett posted his best downhill result of the season in 20th place, finding rare encouragement as the Olympic selection window rapidly closes. "It was a cool start with the crowd right there at Canadian Corner," Bennett said. "It's loud, it's special, and it's a good memory. My confidence is getting better, and this was a step in the right direction."
The race was marred by several frightening crashes in the changing conditions. Kriechmayr suffered a heavy fall on the second-to-last turn, crashing into the safety nets before skiing down on one ski with an apparent right knee injury. France's Blaise Giezendanner required helicopter evacuation after a significant crash higher on the course, casting a sobering shadow over the day's celebrations.
Odermatt's victory marked his seventh World Cup win of the season and 52nd of his career, moving him within two victories of Hermann Maier for third place on the all-time men's list. More significantly, it extended his commanding lead in both the downhill standings and overall World Cup race as he pursues a fifth consecutive overall title.
"I honestly didn't even know I could break this record today," Odermatt admitted. "I knew that Adelboden was a chance for a fifth win there, but today I didn't expect it. To have my name on top of both home races is pretty special."
He brushed aside suggestions that his achievements make him a legend. "I don't feel like that, but the atmosphere here in Wengen is incredible," he said. "The start was cool today because we were so close to the Hundschopf. You could really hear the crowd. That makes this place special."
The victory also established a new course record for the shortened layout at 1:33.14, though the altered start meant it couldn't be compared directly to the traditional full-length Lauberhorn track that typically takes more than two and a half minutes to complete.
With the Milan-Cortina Olympics just three weeks away, Odermatt's dominant performance sent an unmistakable message to his rivals. Already the heavy favorite for multiple medals after winning gold in giant slalom at the 2022 Beijing Games, his mastery of speed events has elevated him to the status of the world's most complete alpine skier.
The men's circuit now moves to Kitzbühel's legendary Streif course for three days of racing, including another downhill, before heading to the Olympic venue in Bormio, Italy. But Saturday belonged entirely to Odermatt and to Wengen, where a new king was crowned on the slopes where Klammer and Feuz once reigned supreme.
As the enormous Swiss crowd serenaded their champion with "Odi, Odi, Odi" chants echoing across the Bernese Oberland, Marco Odermatt stood alone atop alpine skiing's most hallowed ground—the undisputed king of the Lauberhorn.
