Marco Odermatt claims record 4th downhill victory in Wengen to assert status as Olympic favorite

WENGEN, Switzerland (AP) — Marco Odermatt already has no equals on the World Cup skiing circuit.

Now the Swiss star is unmatched in the biggest event on home snow, too.

Odermatt dominated a shortened race Saturday to set up his fourth career downhill victory in Wengen — breaking a tie for the most downhill victories on the famed Lauberhorn course with Franz Klammer and Beat Feuz.

Austrian standout Klammer claimed his three Wengen downhill wins in the 1970s while Feuz, another Swiss skier, claimed his third victory in 2020.

What’s more is that Odermatt’s four wins have come in succession.

“From the very first gate I was so ready to push,” Odermatt said.

Including a super-G victory in 2022, Odermatt has five wins in Wengen overall — plus four other podium results.

“Every year was a big highlight and the highlight goes on,” he said.

Odermatt finished a massive 0.79 seconds ahead of Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayr and 0.90 ahead of Italy’s Giovanni Franzoni, who claimed his first career victory in Friday’s super-G.

Strong winds prompted organizers to drastically shorten the course — making the narrow and tactical “Kernen S” section the key to the race. Odermatt mastered the section perfectly and carried away a faster speed on the exit than anyone else.

“Where I lost the race yesterday I won it today,” Odermatt said, referring to his fourth-place result in the super-G. “That’s racing. If you don’t take the risk you cannot win races at this level.”

Franjo von Allmen and Alexis Money, two other Swiss skiers, finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Von Allmen, the world champion in downhill last season, took a riskier approach and skied into a television camera lining the course inside the “S” section. Then he crashed in the finish area — although appeared unhurt.

Dominik Paris of Italy was sixth after registering the top speed at 151.57 kph (94 kph).

It’s the first of the two weekends at the circuit’s classic venues, with Kitzbuehel, Austria, up next. Then the focus will switch to the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy — with the men to ski in Bormio.

Odermatt won gold in giant slalom at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and will be favored to win multiple medals at the upcoming Games.

Overall, it was Odermatt’s 52nd World Cup victory, moving him within two wins of matching Hermann Maier for third place on the all-time men’s list. He’s also got a massive lead in the standings as he chases a fifth consecutive overall World Cup title.

Odermatt immediately knew he had done something special again, screaming with delight in the finish area and waving to the crowd, which was made up almost entirely of fans waving Swiss flags.

Franzoni was able to overcome a low starting slot with the No. 28 bib and confirm his status as a rising contender

“Getting my first downhill podium here is phenomenal,” Franzoni said. “It was magical yesterday in super-G and almost better today, considering the conditions.”

A slalom — an event Odermatt does not compete in — is scheduled for Wengen on Sunday.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics