After eight second and three third places, the Swiss won his first downhill victory on Thursday at a home race in Wengen. In the shortened descent, which replaced one of the races canceled in Beaver Creek, the reigning world champion triumphed ahead of Cyprien Sarrazin (FRA/+0.58 sec.) and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (NOR/+0.81). Otmar Striedinger was the best Austrian in eighth place.
Immediately following his ride, Odermatt shouted his joy to the thousands of fans who had started chanting “Odi, Odi”. One of the first to congratulate was the 84-year-old coaching legend Karl Frehsner. “It’s unbelievable that it’s finally working at home in the home race, where I really wanted to win,” said Odermatt following his 30th World Cup victory. “I’ve noticed in the last few weeks that there really isn’t much left.” He drove at full risk. “Of course it’s annoying, but I didn’t take it as tragically as the media did,” he added in the ORF interview.
Full risk
He drove at full risk. “Of course it’s annoying, but I didn’t take it as tragically as the media did,” he said, describing the wait for the long lack of success in the premier discipline. Of a total of ten races that he competed in this World Cup winter, Odermatt won six and landed on the podium three more times. A seventh place in the Val Gardena downhill was his worst result. The last time a runner won the three disciplines of giant slalom, super-G and downhill in one season was in the 2009/10 season. That too was a Swiss citizen, Didier Cuche.
The first of four Wengen races this year, however, passed the Austrians. Striedinger didn’t make the most of his starting number one, which was good for the increasingly bumpy slopes, but the Carinthian was happy regarding his best result by far this season. Vincent Kriechmayr (+1.62) had to settle for 13th place following a mixed ride, Stefan Babinsky (+1.68) was 15th. Daniel Danklmaier (+2.21) ended up outside the top 20, physically not for him There were no World Cup points for fresh Daniel Hemetsberger (+3.03) and Johannes Strolz (+3.11).
2 small, stupid mistakes
“I really gave it my all today, unfortunately I made two small, stupid mistakes. Basically I’m happy with my performance,” said Striedinger. Kriechmayr mightn’t explain why he was so far behind and was struggling with himself. “I drove the Kernen-S modestly. It almost left me in the gang during training. Today I simply drove it too carefully. The rest must have been really modest,” explained the Upper Austrian.
“Of course it wasn’t a very successful day for Austria. I tried to take the good feeling from the training with me and put it into practice, and I don’t think I did that well,” reported Babinsky. For the first time in the history of the Alpine Ski World Cup, the first four downhill runs of the season ended without an Austrian podium finish. “I’m convinced that the boys will come back. Vinc won the race twice and he’ll be back too.”
Race interrupted several times
The race was interrupted several times – right before Babinsky started, and longer following the Swiss Marco Kohler fell. The 26-year-old is Odermatt’s best friend within the Swiss team.
A Super-G is scheduled in Wengen on Friday, before the classic Lauberhorn descent from the original start takes place on Saturday (both at 12.30 p.m.). The slalom will take place on Sunday (10:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m./all live on ORF 1).
