Von Allmen secures back-to-back Crans Montana downhill wins

Franjo von Allmen (SUI/Head) retained his Crans Montana Downhill crown as he secured a hugely impressive win in the Audi FIS Ski World Cup.

A superb run of 1:55.00 was unmatchable to the chasing pack, von Allmen securing a home victory on the Swiss slopes and adding to the joy from Malorie Blanc’s (SUI/Atomic) Super G success a day earlier.

It wasn’t the all-Swiss podium of the last Crans Montana downhill however, as Dominik Paris (ITA/Nordica) and Ryan Cochran-Siegle (USA/Head) both reached the top three on the final outing before the Milano Cortina Olympic Games.

Franjo stars at home - again!

With all eyes on the Italian horizon for the coming weeks, those Italians on the slopes here aimed to lay down a marker. Both Florian Schieder (ITA/Atomic) and Dominik Paris set their stalls out early. Paris’ 1:55.65 was quick and clean to leave him in the ascendancy after the first nine.

Out in tenth was Marco Odermatt (SUI/Stoeckli) though. The season leader with three downhill wins in his pocket already came into this hoping to be the one to make it successive Swiss victories in Crans Montana after Malorie Blanc’s Super G success a day earlier. But his time came 0.14s back, much to the shock and jubilation of Paris. His emotions switched to relief shortly when Ryan Cochran-Siegle crossed.

Coming into this weekend, the American's only podium of the season was a second in Beaver Creek, but he returned to form at the most timely moment possible. Cochran-Siegle moved in between Paris and Odermatt’s time, 0.05 back from the leader at the time. Then came Von Allmen.

Last year’s winner returned to Crans Montana to lay down a marker for the rest ahead of Milano Cortina, and he did so in style. 1:55.00 blew away the lead of Paris by 0.65 and made Swiss hopes for another home title begin to turn into expectations. And ultimately, nobody could come close to him, that 0.65 gap to Paris the difference between first and second.

Franjo impresses all

A home victory just days before the Olympic Games. If Franjo von Allmen could ask for the perfect preparation, this would most likely be it. The Swiss rarely looked troubled on the slopes on his way to Sunday’s victory, impressing even himself in the process.

Speaking after securing the win, he remarked: “I really like the slope, it’s pretty easy to ski but not easy to be fast, so I was impressed by myself that I was really that fast. I had a good feeling on the run so just tried to show my skiing.”

And backed by a huge home crowd in Crans Montana, crossing the line to their ovation is something he will never forget. Asked if he can hear the crowd during he admitted “while skiing not really but when you cross the finish line you can hear it and when you come down, it’s an amazing feeling!”

Paris’ pre-Games pace

For Dominik Paris, today was a chance to set his stall out ahead of a Milano-Cortina Games where he’ll hope to bring home joy. And if he takes this showing into the Games, anything could happen. “I had a really good run. Maybe the start was not perfect because I didn’t feel that speed at the top. Entry to the middle section I had a really good run there and felt really smooth with good speed. But I knew that Franjo was hard to beat as he’s really fast on this terrain. But I beat Odie (Marco Odermatt) today and that’s a good feeling - one of the Swiss guys!”

Cochran-Siegle on the podium

Like Paris, a podium place in Crans Montana is the perfect timing for Ryan Cochran-Siegle. The American had just one podium this season before this, and third here is testament to his work. Speaking after his race, he said: “Definitely happy. It’s an amazing slope but a challenge because you really do have to put down a good run to be fast. I was just so focused on enjoying it. It’s so rare that you get days like this, nice sunshine on a sunny slope, so I was really just trying to enjoy that. I think my ski was fluid enough that I was able to keep carrying speed.”

Check out the full results from the men’s downhill in Crans Montana here, with the latest season standings here.

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