Marco Odermatt / GEPA pictures
Marco Odermatt delivered a first run for the ages on Adelboden’s Chuenisbärgli, building a commanding advantage early on a hard, bumpy surface as low clouds and intermittent snowfall made visibility difficult for many.
Top six after Run 1 (all podium contenders within 1.00)
- Bib 7 | 1st | 🇨🇭 Marco Odermatt (1997) — 1:14.40 (Stöckli)
- Bib 1 | 2nd | 🇧🇷 Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (2000) — +0.49 (Atomic, Oakley)
- Bib 8 | 3rd | 🇳🇴 Timon Haugan (1996) — +0.53
- Bib 18 | 4th | 🇫🇷 Léo Anguenot (1998) — +0.66
- Bib 33 | 5th | 🇦🇹 Joshua Sturm (2001) — +0.87 (Atomic)
- Bib 6 | 6th | 🇦🇹 Marco Schwarz (1995) — +0.94 (Atomic)
Odermatt separates the field on the steep
Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen opened the race with a powerful, clean run and set the early mark at 1:14.89, attacking the hill’s aggressive terrain and the air over the upper roll. But when Odermatt left the start with bib 7, he produced a performance that immediately changed the tone of the day.
The Swiss superstar took the lead by 0.49 seconds, and the finish arena erupted as cowbells rang across the stadium. Odermatt’s skiing looked sharp, committed, and controlled—exactly what the Chuenisbärgli demands when the surface turns bumpy and unforgiving.
Run breakdown: Odermatt won it early
The sector data told a simple story: Odermatt won the run by dominating the top three sectors. He ranked fastest in Sectors 1, 2, and 3, creating separation before the final pitch.
The chasers found their best speed late. Pinheiro Braathen stayed close early but lost most of his time in the third sector, then fought back in Sector 4. Haugan recovered strongly after bleeding time in Sector 1, and Anguenot skied consistently close throughout, staying fully in the podium fight.
The shock of the run: Sturm from bib 33
The true surprise came from Joshua Sturm. Starting with bib 33, the Austrian delivered a blistering run to jump into fifth, just 0.87 back, becoming the sixth skier within one second of Odermatt.
Sturm’s charge also signaled that the course still rewarded committed skiing deep into the start list—even as snowfall returned and visibility became more challenging for later bibs.
Depth on display: first DNF came late
On a slope this demanding, the race stayed remarkably intact early. The first DNF did not come until bib 27 (Filippo Della Vite), an unusual sign of both stability near the top and the quality of the opening group on a hill that routinely forces mistakes.
Brennsteiner on the back foot
A major storyline developed further down the order: giant slalom discipline leader Stefan Brennsteiner could not match the leaders’ pace and sat 21st, 2.02 seconds back. For a discipline leader, it was a difficult start to the race and left him with little margin heading into Run 2.
North Americans: Radamus hangs on, Read misses again
The Stifel U.S. Ski Team’s top GS skier, River Radamus, survived a tense first run and finished 30th, +2.66, clinging to the final qualifying spot as conditions became more difficult for the late starters.
Canada’s lone starter, Erik Read, missed qualification again in another tight margin. When he finished, he was just 0.09 seconds slower than Radamus at a moment when the American still held 30th and hoped to advance.
High-bib impact: bib 31+ skiers inside the top 30
Skiers starting outside the top 30 punched into the top 30 anyway, reinforcing both the challenge of the hill and the opportunities it creates when the course demands complete commitment.
Bib 31+ top-30 finishers:
- Bib 33 – Joshua Sturm (AUT 🇦🇹, 2001) — 5th, +0.87 (Atomic)
- Bib 35 – Loevan Parand (FRA 🇫🇷, 1999) — 22nd, +2.03 (HEAD)
- Bib 32 – Fabian Ax Swartz (SWE 🇸🇪, 2004) — 27th, +2.22
- Bib 43 – Lukas Feurstein (AUT 🇦🇹, 2001) — 28th, +2.23
- Bib 45 – Albert Ortega Fornésa (ESP 🇪🇸, 1998) — 29th, +2.45
Fastest finisher from bib 31+: Bib 33 – Joshua Sturm (AUT) — 5th, +0.87
Highest bib to qualify: Bib 45 – Albert Ortega Fornesa (ESP) — 29th, +2.45
Second run setup
With the start order reversed for Run 2, the pressure now flips to the skiers who already showed they can handle the Chuenisbärgli’s most punishing terrain.
First Run Top 30 Results
click image to enlarge
First-Run Analysis: Fastest Three and Qualified North American
About the Author: Peter Lange
