Men's downhill at world championships - three things to watch / Photo: Johann GRODER - APA/AFP
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Men's downhill at world championships - three things to watch
Switzerland's Marco Odermatt will have his eyes fixed on a speed double when he takes to the start hut for the men's downhill at the World Ski Championships in Saalbach on Sunday.
Odermatt delivered a masterclass to claim victory in Friday's super-G and will aim to repeat Austrian Vincent Kriechmayr's double at the 2021 worlds in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
AFP Sports looks at three things to watch:
- King Odi, hunting double -
Odermatt won the downhill and giant slalom titles in Courchevel/Meribel in 2023 and has established himself as leader of a strong Swiss team that also includes Alexis Monney, Stefan Rogentin and Franjo Von Allmen.
Odermatt laid down what he himself called a perfect run to win the super-G in Saalbach.
"It's the one gold medal that was missing and now to have this one also in my pocket is another dream come true," the 27-year-old said.
"This means a lot. If I could wish for probably (anything) I would take this one as the first one. It's unbelievable to be a world champion in three different disciplines.
"Two other races to come, so I'm just happy to be here, healthy and be in good shape."
Odermatt's winning margin was the second biggest in world championships history, beaten only by the 1.54sec margin by which Austrian Stephan Eberharter sealed victory at the 1991 worlds, also at Saalbach.
Downhillers, beware! Should Odermatt retain his form on the Schneekristall course, he might again go unrivalled.
- Kriechmayr, bearing Austrian hopes -
Kriechmayr, who was 2021 world champion in both the downhill and super-G, finished just five-hundredths off the podium in the super-G in Saalbach.
The Austrian tweaked his right knee in the downhill in Wengen last month, raising fears from his home fans that he might miss the chmapionships.
But the 33-year-old ran effective stress tests on the knee in training and should be in the running for a podium placing in the downhill.
"My run was not good enough," was Kriechmayr's blunt assessment of the super-G.
"All in all, not perfect timing through the course. It is what it is.
"I'm sorry for the whole crowd, but it's good for our team to have Raphael Haaser in second place.
"It's incredible what Odermatt showed. He's the best and the best one (in the race), so congratulations to him."
Kriechmayr added he was happy his knee had withstood the rigours of the shorter speed event ahead of the downhill.
"It's good to know for the downhill," he said. "The knee was perfect but we will see how it is on Sunday."
- Tongue-lashed French -
Fred Perrin, coach of the French men's team, didn't hold back after their performance in the super-G.
While missing team leaders Cyrpien Sarrazin and Alexis Pinturault, both victims of season-ending crashes on the World Cup circuit, Florian Loriot was the highest-placed racer, in 13th.
Nils Allegre finished 17th, while Matthieu Bailet and Nils Alphand both failed to finish the course.
"The results are not good," blasted Perrin of the super-G.
"The message was to take risks, to be playful and to try everything. They didn't know how to do it.
"In terms of risk-taking, they didn't take any at all, we didn't know how to do it at all. They didn't look for speed, they weren't instinctive, they weren't themselves."
To make matters worse, no French racer has made a speed podium this season, the best showing Allegre's fourth in December's Val Gardena downhill.
Perrin said he was hoping for a "reaction" from his team in the downhill and leave the piste with "no regrets".
K.Willems--JdB
