Franzoni foils Odermatt with dream Downhill triumph in Kitzbühel

Giovanni Franzoni (ITA/Rossignol) produced the ski of a lifetime to win the legendary Kitzbühel Downhill on Saturday, finishing narrowly ahead of Marco Odermatt (SUI/Stöckli), whose quest to win the prestigious battle on the Streif goes on.

Franzoni has had a phenomenal, breakthough January: he claimed his first ever Audi FIS World Cup Super G victory in Wengen last week, before grabbing a debut Downhill podium a day later.

Now the 24-year-old has got one of the biggest achievements in winter sport in his back pocket – with a home Olympic Games looming.

Odermatt, who has this race at the top of his bucket list, recorded his third runners-up finish here.

Maxence Muzaton (FRA/ Rossignol), meanwhile, enjoyed the best day of his racing career. Starting bib no.29, he put it all on the line on the Streif – and it paid off.

Muzaton led on the opening section, and held on to record third place. His last World Cup podium came in 2017 – a silver medal in Alpine Combined.

Franzoni was first out the gate and down the classic course. He was highly aggressive at the top, kept his outside ski strong, produced powerful transitions, and kept a tight line. He really excelled, though, on the more technical turns at the bottom of the course.

It always looked like a decent performance, requiring some serious boundary-pushing to surpass. Racer after racer failed, and many were lucky not to crash.

Justin Murisier (SUI/ Head) stumbled but somehow stayed upright, Alexis Monney (SUI/ Stöckli) pushed hard and had a close call, Franjo von Allmen (SUI/Head) faltered and miraculously recovered, Daniel Hemersberger (AUT/ Fischer) hit the deck but bounced back before being swallowed by the netting.

Franzoni found it hard to digest his extraordinary week. “It’s just crazy, just my second time here [in Kitzbühel], to be first," he said. "Taking that first podium in Wengen was a dream.

"I knew that I was fast in the final part, but it was scary. I am happy. After the training I had a little insecurity, I wasn’t so good. But I was fast in the middle part, and today it made a difference.”

“I feel stupid that I can be that that disappointed about second place”
Odermatt was always going to be the athlete with the mixture of skills to beat bib number one, and he had the green light for much of his run. 

He was a man on a mission, solid through all the speedy sections – but it was during the more technical turns, which normally work in his favour, that he lost time to the Italian. Odermatt finished just +0.07 seconds adrift.

He was openly crestfallen at the finish: this had been a real focus.

“I feel stupid that I can be that disappointed about second place, here in Kitzbühel but we all knew that today, victory was my big goal, my big dream,” he said. “I didn’t make it.” 

It was pointed out that fellow Swiss legend Beat Feuz took a long time to win here, but eventually secured three triumphs in a row.

“Sure, but you also never know,” responded Odermatt. “It’s a privilege that you can come here with a red bib, with such a good shape, with a body that does exactly what you want, a mind that is hungry for this victory. Skis that are working perfectly.

“Many things need to fit together to fight for the top spot, and you never know when will be the next time. I was very happy with the run. I could ski my plan and it was a very good plan. But Giovanni was seven hundredths faster. It was not enough.”

Odermatt, who won yesterday’s Super G, remains supreme in Downhill this term – he has won four and finished runner-up twice. The racing moves on to Crans Montana next week, before the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games come into focus.

Muzaton records best Kitzbühel finish
Frenchman Muzaton was delighted as he clocked third, +0.39 seconds behind Franzoni, meanwhile. “I always have a good feeling here in Kitzbühel, and I did so many good results, but never good enough to get on the podium,” he said.

“So today I did my best to push. I had no regrets at the end, I am very happy with third place.”

Check out the full results from the men’s Downhill in Kitzbühel here, with the latest season standings in the race for the Downhill Crystal Globe here.

 Also, do please head to Reuters Connect and Actionpress.de to view and purchase a wide selection of superb photographs like those below from this race and indeed from all FIS events.