'Another perfect super-G' for Odermatt in Bormio

As the rest of the field laboured with the bumps and lumps of the brutal Stelvio piste in Bormio, Marco Odermatt (SUI) once again looked like a man in a class of his own as he marauded to victory in the second Audi FIS World Cup men’s super-G of the season.

‘Mister Bormio’ Dominik Paris (ITA) was the first skier out the gate and had crashed within 20 seconds of this icy course; Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT) – winner of the first super-G of the season in Val Gardena/ Groeden, struggled with the treacherous mid-section, and yesterday’s downhill top dog Cyprien Sarrazin (FRA) pushed too hard and missed a gate.

But once again, defending super-G and overall champion Odermatt was relaxed but aggressive on this piste, annihilating the opposition: Raphael Haaser (AUT) was second with the ski of a lifetime, but still +0.98 seconds behind; Odermatt’s perennial rival Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (NOR) finished third, +1.31 seconds adrift.

It completed a near-perfect couple of days for the Swiss star, who was second in the downhill yesterday – and he already looks like a very strong favourite to retain both the globes he lifted last term.

It always looked like a three-way battle: either Odermatt (9), Kilde (6), or Kriechmayr (4) had won every individual World Cup super-G event in 2021, 2022, and 2023 before today.

Kilde had put down a lively early run that while not quite his devastating best and containing a few errors, always looked like the time to beat. The pressure was on.

But Odermatt didn’t feel it: brimming with confidence, he glided through the gears, read the course perfectly and recovered from any micro-errors almost instantly. It was his 17th podium and 10th win in the last 20 super-Gs.

“It was another perfect super-G,” he said. “I had a good plan in my mind. I skied smart where I had to and pushed it where I wanted to, and it was perfect.

“The last pitch was fun to ski. I had a very tight line and still managed to press it down somehow, to take a lot of speed into the last flat. On slopes like this, you have to ski well.

"Right now if everything works, it's probably hard to beat me."

Haaser was the only man to look even vaguely as smooth as Odermatt. The ever-improving Austrian was clean through his transitions, and backed up an excellent showing in the downhill yesterday. Having finished second here to Kilde in 2021's super-G, Bormio has become his happiest hunting ground.

“It was pretty solid skiing the last two days, so I’m really happy with the results,” he said.

"I’d made a few mistakes on the top, and on the bottom, but all in all it was a very solid run. It was pretty similar [to yesterday]. I hope to continue like that.”

Kilde was reasonably satisfied with third – “it’s a good feeling for sure to be up there” – but will be looking for improvement moving into January’s classics.

"It was OK, but in general I need to work on my confidence a little, and bring the speed like I used to. I did that some places, but not like Odermatt, and that's where Odermatt is, so I've got to go there."

Kriechmayer was openly disappointed. “My skiing was not that good today, I was not totally on the limit,” he said. “I hope for good racing in Wengen. Bormio was not that good.”

Bormio has been merciless on the field this weekend. The troubling news had been Thursday’s crash of Marco Schwarz (AUT), who had been leading the overall standings going into the day.

The Austrian was planning to ski all four disciplines in a bid to win the overall crystal globe, but in just his seventh-ever start in a World Cup downhill, he fell on the icy track and tore his right knee cruciate ligament.

Schwarz is out for the season, denying fans what was shaping up to be a classic ‘battle of the Marcos’ with Odermatt.

His fellow Marco paid tribute. “That’s the bad news about this week here,” said Odermatt.

“It shows us once again how small the path is between winning and losing, and even getting injured. I’m very sad to lose him for this year, for the battle. And as well for the whole ski fans.

“He is a great guy, he’s done perfect performances until now and we will miss him. But he will be back.”

For Odi though, the season rumbles forward; he tops the super-G and overall standings. Only time will tell if he can get close to last season’s record-breaking points total: he made 22 podiums, winning 13 times in 2022-23.

“Some days off, then we leave for preparation,” he said. “Maybe the best months will come.”