Swiss ski dominator Marco Odermatt won the first downhill run of the season. The 28-year-old took his fifth victory in the discipline on the shortened Birds of Prey in Beaver Creek. The four-time overall World Cup winner found the fastest line, especially in the middle section “Talon” and was able to extend his lead over second-placed Ryan Cochran-Siegle in this part (+0.30 seconds). The Norwegian Adrian Smiseth Sejersted came third (+0.69s).
Due to snowfall and thick fog in the past few days, the speed riders only had to conquer a shortened version of the Raptor run on Thursday. During the race itself, there were no signs of the weather problems: in sunshine and blue skies, a fair race was held, which was opened by the returnee Niels Hintermann.
Niels Hintermann is celebrating a comeback Lymphatic cancer
The Swiss had to miss last season after he was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer in autumn 2024. Before the departure, the 30-year-old explained that he had no specific goals for his first races, but wanted to be competitive again. With a gap of 1.79 seconds to his compatriot Odermatt, he was able to keep up again. Just ahead of him was Aleksander Aamodt Kilde – in only his second race after the long injury break, the Norwegian narrowly missed the top ten and finished eleventh.
The small German speed team, which has been plagued by injuries since last season, only played a supporting role in Colorado. The DSV veteran Romed Baumann was able to show his gliding skills in the first flat part of the route, but then fell behind in the more technical and turning sections of the route. At the finish they were 1.85 seconds behind Odermatt and thus 22nd. Simon Jocher was 46th, Maximilian Schwarz ended up in 60th place.
German Mini Speed Team only plays a supporting role
The German men’s speed team has shrunk significantly since the beginning of last season. Andreas Sander is still out due to illness, Jacob Schramm is fighting his way back after his wild fall on the Streif in Kitzbühel, in which he sustained serious knee injuries.
And Luis Vogt is also still waiting for his first appearance: The 23-year-old is currently training in the USA and, after his shoulder injury, was given the go-ahead from the doctor to take part in competitions again, but decided against starting.
The departure was originally supposed to take place on Friday, but was brought forward to Thursday due to weather. And the rest of the program in Beaver Creek has also changed slightly: the Super-G will now take place on Friday and the giant slalom on Sunday. Saturday remains free of racing.