The Czech team with their German partners, celebrating their first men’s World Cup victory / Jan Zabystran / Val Gardena SG / GEPA pictures
Jan Zabystran shocks Val Gardena with historic super-G win, denying Odermatt and delivering first men’s Czech World Cup victory
For much of Friday’s men’s World Cup super-G in Val Gardena / Gröden, the outcome looked settled.
Marco Odermatt had done what he does so often. He skied with authority through the technical middle of the course, built a commanding advantage, and crossed the line well clear of the early starters. Once the best-ranked super-G skiers were down, the Swiss star appeared poised to collect his 51st career World Cup victory.
Then the race turned on its head.
A late charge that changed everything
With light improving and confidence growing among the late starters, Jan Zabystran delivered one of the most stunning upsets in recent history. Racing with bib 29, the Czech skier attacked from the top, stayed aggressive through the middle, and unleashed the fastest final sector of the race to take the lead by 0.22 seconds over Odermatt.
The result carried historic weight.
Zabystran earned his first career World Cup victory, his first podium, and delivered the first men’s World Cup win in Czech Republic history.
“It’s something crazy,” Zabystran said. “Two years ago I dreamed maybe one day I could be in the top 30, maybe have a podium. To have my first World Cup win — and for my country — it’s something so beautiful.”
He emphasized that the result was built on persistence rather than a single breakthrough moment.
“Two years ago I scored my first World Cup points and that already felt really special,” he said. “I just kept pushing and skiing like in training. Now, two years later, to stand here with a win — I still can’t really believe it.”
Zabystran also credited the support around him during his rise.
“The Czech team helped me a lot over the last two years,” he said. “I’m really happy for myself, but also for them. I hope this gives all of us motivation for the next races.”
Odermatt brilliant again, but beaten at the finish
Odermatt’s run was world-class through the heart of the course. He was fastest through the middle sectors and held the best cumulative time entering the final glide. But where he maintained speed, Zabystran attacked.
The Czech skier gained 0.39 seconds in the final sector alone — the decisive margin that reshaped the race.
Odermatt finished second, collecting his 95th career World Cup podium and his 27th podium in super-G. It was another elite performance, but on this day, not enough.
Franzoni’s first podium carries deep meaning for Italy
Italy’s Giovanni Franzoni completed the podium in third, earning his first World Cup podium and his fifth career top-10 super-G finish.
Franzoni skied with confidence after his strong showing in yesterday’s sprint downhill, delivering a composed run and one of the fastest final sectors of the race. But the result meant far more than numbers.
“This summer was very hard for us because of the loss of our teammate Matteo,” Franzoni said. “This result is for him. He was my roommate for many years, since we were young. I think he would be proud of me.”
Matteo Franzoso, a close friend and longtime roommate, died during preseason training in Chile earlier this year. Franzoni looked skyward in the finish area, visibly emotional.
“He was like an older brother to me,” Franzoni said. “I will ski for him all my life.”
Italy’s podium followed Dominik Paris’ third-place finish in Thursday’s downhill sprint, giving the home team back-to-back podiums on the Saslong.
Late starters reshape the race
As light improved throughout the afternoon, late starters increasingly skied into the points, producing one of the most unusual super-G results of the season.
Austria rebounded strongly from sprint downhill disappointment, placing three skiers inside the top 10, while France put two skiers in the top five. Veteran German Romed Baumann, like Italy’s Christof Innerhofer, turned back the clock with a strong result in the Olympic season.
North Americans: Canada leads a deep points day
Canada delivered one of its strongest and deepest super-G performances in recent seasons, stacking multiple skiers tightly together inside the points as conditions improved for late starters.
The highlight came from brothers Brodie Seger and Riley Seger, who finished 14th and 15th, separated by just 0.01 seconds, to stand as the top two North Americans on the day. Both charged from high bibs on a super-G course set by Canadian coach Chris Powers, underscoring the significance of the result.
The Canadian depth went even deeper. Raphael Lessard earned his first career World Cup points, a milestone moment for the University of Utah skier racing for Canada. Lessard, like Riley Seger, followed an NCAA pathway on his journey to the World Cup, highlighting the growing role of collegiate skiing in Canada’s development system.
Together, the results reflected a rare and encouraging sight: multiple Canadian skiers clustered inside the points on one of the World Cup’s most historic speed tracks.
Canada — World Cup points
- 49 | Brodie Seger — 14th | +0.89
- 36 | Riley Seger — 15th | +0.90
- 18 | Cameron Alexander — 16th | +1.00
- 21 | Jeffrey Read — 17th | +1.04
- 35 | Raphael Lessard — 20th | +1.15 (first career World Cup points)
Stifel U.S. Ski Team: Negomir leads the way
For the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, Kyle Negomir finished as the top American, skiing aggressively into 19th place.
“I was proud of the way I came out and attacked it,” Negomir said. “On a relatively simple super-G like this, small mistakes cost a lot of time.”
Veteran Bryce Bennett also scored points from bib 44, finishing 26th on a hill where he owns two downhill World Cup victories, a confidence-building result ahead of Saturday’s Saslong downhill.
Sam Morse narrowly held on in 30th, while River Radamus finished just outside the points, tied for 31st. The lone British starter, Roy-Alexander Steudle, did not finish.
Stifel U.S. Ski Team — World Cup points
- 24 | Kyle Negomir — 19th | +1.09
- 44 | Bryce Bennett — 26th | +1.31
- 52 | Sam Morse — 30th | +1.46
High bibs (31+) who scored World Cup points
- 43 | Matthieu Bailet | FRA — 5th | +0.47
- 49 | Brodie Seger | CAN — 14th | +0.89
- 36 | Riley Seger | CAN — 15th | +0.90
- 41 | Romed Baumann | GER — 17th | +1.04
- 35 | Raphael Lessard | CAN — 20th | +1.15
- 38 | Vincent Wieser | AUT — 22nd | +1.18
- 44 | Bryce Bennett | USA — 26th | +1.31
- 32 | Simon Jocher | GER — 29th | +1.40
- 52 | Sam Morse | USA — 30th | +1.46
Top 30 results
Click images to enlarge
Analysis of the top three and Other North Americans among the top 30
About the Author: Peter Lange
