Sunday Garmisch-Partenkirchen SG podium GEPA pictures/Thomas Bachun

Skiing with bib eight, Marco Odermatt became the first man to earn a second World Cup super-G victory during this season. Odermatt used today’s harder race surface to push the entire course and cross with the lead. Undoubtedly, the season’s super-G leader was determined to avoid missing his second consecutive podium. Yesterday, he ended his streak of 12 straight super-G races, finishing among the fastest three.

It has been said many times by many observers that ski racing is witnessing greatness; it is true.

“It was a different race today,” said Odermatt, “The snow was better than yesterday and like this, I also could push. I knew the slope was big enough, the snow was good also next to the line, and I was also two (or) three times next to the line but I knew I could come back after the gate,”

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Haaser

Austria’s Raphael Haaser was the racer who finished the closest to Odermatt. Haaser has earned two super-G podiums before today, both second-place finishes in Bormio. One of those was this season, and this outcome represents the second podium of his season. He has climbed up to 3rd in the season’s super-G standings.

“Especially in the lower part, I felt very comfortable; it looked like I had a really solid run,” said Haaser. “I had a really bad mistake yesterday so I think that’s the solution.” referring to Saturday’s disappointment.

Von Allmen’s breakthrough

Earning 3rd in Sunday’s Kandahar super-G was the 22-year-old rising Swiss star Franjo Von Allmen. Von Allmen has been rocketing up the World Cup speed event rankings and those paying attention expected a fantastic result was coming. He produced that result today. Von Allmen was only (+0.61) behind the world’s best.

It is his first podium but the young racer had delivered 9th in both Val Gardena / Gröden and yesterday’s race here in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Expect to see this rising star to be among the fastest for years to come.

“In the finish, I was like, ‘Wait, what?'” Von Allmen said. “I think if somebody told me before the season, I wouldn’t have believed it. But now it’s real, it’s amazing.”

Kriechmayr falls further behind

The first to race of the season’s contenders for the season’s super-G title was Austrian Vincent Kriechmayr. He was one of four men who have won a super-G this season. Looking confident, the Austrian star, skiing with bib six, attacked the course from the start and crossed with a (-0.24) advantage. He immediately fended off yesterday’s second-fastest, Italian, Guglielmo Bosca, but Bosca would not find his Saturday magic on Sunday.

However, the next racer was Odermatt, who skied with his standard excellence. He crossed the finish with a very significant (-0.64) lead. Unfortunately for the Austrian star, by finishing fourth, his super-G points deficit to Odermatt in the season’s title grows by 50 points. With just two super-G races remaining on the calendar, he trails Odermatt by 121. It will now require Odermatt to experience bad fortune to prevent him from winning the event globe.

Odermatt said, “If you win a race it’s always good for the standings but still two more to go; it’s not done yet, but for sure it’s a big step ahead,

Sarrazin drops out of SG title contention

With faster snow than yesterday, it was anticipated that French star Cyprien Sarrazin would rebound from his disappointing result from the previous day. However, the contender misjudged his speed, took too direct of a line, and did not finish the course. He now drops from contention in the season’s title chase; however, he is still challenging for the downhill title.

Also, the French winner of Saturday’s Kandahar super-G Nils Allegre, had a different experience on the harder snow of Sunday’s Kandahar. He skied well but finished 14th (+1.20) behind the fastest time.

Great day for North Americans

The first North American to ski was reigning World Champion James “Jack” Crawford. Crawford could not produce his usual excellence on Saturday in the warm, salted snow. However, today, the Canadian could deliver, and skiing with bib 12, he finished (+0.76) slower than Odermatt and in fourth place.

This season, Stifel US Ski Team’s River Radamus failed to score in a super-G before he arrived in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. However, yesterday, he was 17th, and today, he delivers his career-best super-G, finishing tied for eighth (+0.96).

Radamus’s teammate Ryan Cochran-Siegle delivered his second 10th place in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen series and continues climbing the World Cup super-G ranks. Today, he finished (+1.06) behind the Swiss winner.

Canadian Jeffrey Read was the fourth North American to finish among the top 15. Read has been the most consistent North American super-G skier of the season, and this outcome will undoubtedly solidify his invitation to ski the super-G at the World Cup finals in Saalbach, Austria.

With five other North American men finishing in the points today, the group reveals it has the skills to execute at a world-class level on the moderate slopes of the Kandahar course. Both races of the series have seen the most North Americans among the points this season.

Joining the fastest four North Americans among the points are Canadian Cameron Alexander, 24th (+1.93), and Kyle Alexander, 30th (+2.20). Also, Stifel US Ski Team’s Sam Morse, 23rd (+1.91), Jared Goldberg, 28th (+2.14) and their teammate Bryce Bennett, 29th (+2.19)

Notably, Stifel US Ski Team’s Jack Smith skied his first run as a competitor in the World Cup. Although he wasn’t as fast as he had hoped, the first World Cup is an extraordinary day in any ski racer’s career.

Notable facts

To highlight the difference the race surface makes, yesterday, with the warm salted and slow snow, there was one racer who did not finish. Today, with the faster-frozen surface, there were 14 racers among the DNFs.

Once again, the FIS and local racer crew have provided an excellent race surface, and nine racers with bibs above 30 could finish among the points. The fastest was Stifel US Ski Team’s bib 34 River Radamus, who tied for 8th (+0.96). The racer with the highest start number to score points was bib 58, Italy’s Giovanni Franzoni, who finished 26th (+1.97).

The final Men’s World Cup of the regular season will be in Kvitfjell, Norway Sunday, February 18th. After that race series, we will know who will be invited to ski in the Saalbach Austria World Cup finals in both downhill and super-G.

In a race defined by fierce competition and changed conditions, Marco Odermatt’s triumph underscores his dominance in the super-G discipline. As the World Cup circuit progresses, the battle for podiums intensifies, with emerging talents like Franjo Von Allmen and seasoned contenders like Vincent Kriechmayr vying for race victories. With each competition bringing new challenges and surprises, the stage is set for an exhilarating climax to the super-G season

January 28th: top 30 Kandahar super-G results and analysis of the fastest three and scoring North Americans

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Analysis of the fastest three and scoring North Americans