Marco Odermatt, the most talented skier of today, has already won the giant and super-giant slalom many times. He even has a gold medal from the Olympics.
Only in the descent was the 25-year-old Swiss waiting for his day. In the World Cup, he was already second in the royal discipline seven times. He regularly remained just behind Alexander Aamodt Kilde or Vincent Kriechmayer.
It wasn’t until the most important race of the 2023 season that Odermatt mobilized and beat his biggest rival Nor Kilde by half a second. It is already his third championship, but his first medal ever.
After the first slower section, the rest of the track showed the energy, determination and technical maturity of Odermatt. He was almost a class ahead of his rivals for three quarters of the way. His transitions from corner to corner at high speed in challenging sections were exemplary.
Switzerland is thus celebrating the successor of the former king of the congresses, Beat Feuz, who ended his career this year. At the same time, Odermatt’s victory in the third discipline (downhill, giant and supergiant slalom) confirmed that he is today the most versatile downhill skier in the world, who will again be a hot favorite for the overall victory in the World Cup this year. He won it for the first time last year.
He was born and lives on the shores of Lake Lucerne in the village of Buochs. He speaks a Swiss dialect and professes Swiss values - he worships his family, wears the emblem of his native canton Nidwalden on his helmet. And he races on Swiss Stöckli skis, which many other excellent skiers don’t use.
At the age of 25, there’s not much he can’t win. He is an Olympic champion, an overall World Cup winner and now a world champion. Who has ever done this at such an age?
In addition, the race in Courchevel, France, confirmed the emergence of young people in general. In addition to Odermatt, another 25-year-old man, Canadian Cameron Alexander, was third and his also 25-year-old compatriot James Crawford was fifth.
