Swiss Skier Von Allmen Wins Home World Cup Super-G As Odermatt Has Rare Off Day

WENGEN, Switzerland (AP) — The powerful Switzerland men’s ski team won its home World Cup super-G on Friday, though it was Franjo von Allmen getting his first career win as Marco Odermatt had a rare poor result.

Odermatt finished outside the top five in a super-G for the first time since March 2022, 20 races ago, and trailed by more than one second in seventh place.

Von Allmen added to his breakout season by finishing 0.10 seconds clear of Austrian veteran Vincent Kriechmayr.

Swiss teammate Stefan Rogentin was 0.58 back in third in the longest super-G of the season. Von Allmen’s winning time of 1 minute, 47.65 seconds was more than some downhills.

Toronto’s James Crawford narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth just 0.04 seconds behind Rogentin.

Switzerland’s Franjo von Allmen gets to the finish area after completing an alpine ski, men’s World Cup Super-G, in Wengen, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025 (AP Photo/Giovanni Maria Pizzato)

“I’ve been coming to Wengen for about five years, and this was the best prep it’s been. It was joy to ski today,” said Crawford. “Hurts the ego a little coming fourth again, but I’m hoping to bring the exact same approach and hopefully (Saturday), and down the road, I can stand on top of the podium.”

“I’m feeling good heading into (Saturday’s) downhill. It’s been a bit of a journey finding confidence on my skis again but I’m feeling comfortable and wiling to push so I think anything can happen.”

Cameron Alexander, of North Vancouver, B.C., finished eight for his fourth top 10 this season.

Friday’s conditions suited downhill racers on a sunbathed day on the storied Lauberhorn hill where Von Allmen topped 133 kph (83 m.p.h.) on the Haneggschuss straight.

Von Allmen was runner-up in the last two downhills in the past month and will be favoured with Odermatt for the classic downhill race on Saturday that is a signature event on the Swiss sports calendar. Odermatt won it a year ago.

Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt gets to the finish area after completing an alpine ski, men’s World Cup Super-G, in Wengen, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025 (AP Photo/Giovanni Maria Pizzato)

Von Allmen was hugged in the leader’s box by American racer Ryan Cochran-Siegle, who jokingly urged the emerging Swiss star to “party hard” late into the night.

Three-time defending overall World Cup champion Odermatt had an uncharacteristically slow run in a super-G and did not get his tactics right through a tight section of turns that always is key at Wengen.

Odermatt has 13 of his 42 career World Cup race wins in super-G and had his worst result in the discipline since March 2022 when he placed 28th at Kvitfjell, Norway.

“It was difficult for me today,” Odermatt told Swiss broadcaster RTS. “I wasn’t always on the right line and lost speed.”

Odermatt launched into a 34-meter jump off the Hundschopf cliff face that is a defining feature of the Lauberhorn that should be at its full 4.45-kilometre distance on Saturday. It is the longest and quirkiest race on the World Cup circuit with a winning time of around 2 minutes, 25 seconds.