Franjo von Allmen / GEPA pictures
The men’s World Cup downhill in Crans-Montana brings together far more than a start list. This preview includes how and when to watch, the full official start list, and the daily program, along with in-depth context on every major contender, the current downhill standings, and the top World Cup Start List (WCSL) seeds. Complete country rosters for the United States, Canada, and Great Britain are verified directly against the start list, as this race doubles as the final World Cup event before the Olympic Games and the last opportunity to assess the 2027 World Championship downhill track.
The story almost always begins with Marco Odermatt. Any time the Swiss star puts on a race bib, he is the favorite — dominant across venues, relentlessly consistent, and still the benchmark for the discipline. But the pressure behind him is rising fast. Giovanni Franzoni, 23, is the newest and arguably hottest threat in men’s speed, and Franjo von Allmen is as fast as anyone on earth — when he puts together a clean run.
Sunday’s race carries extra weight beyond the normal World Cup stakes.
Race details
- Event: 6th Men’s Downhill — Crans-Montana (SUI)
- Course: Piste Nationale
- Field: 60 competitors / 16 nations
Current men’s DH podiums this season (2025–26)
| Venue | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Creek (USA) | 🇨🇭 Marco Odermatt (SUI) | 🇺🇸 Ryan Cochran-Siegle (USA) | 🇳🇴 Adrian Smiseth Sejersted (NOR) |
| Val Gardena / Gröden DH1 (ITA) | 🇨🇭 Marco Odermatt (SUI) | 🇨🇭 Franjo von Allmen (SUI) | 🇮🇹 Dominik Paris (ITA) |
| Val Gardena / Gröden DH2 (ITA) | 🇨🇭 Franjo von Allmen (SUI) | 🇨🇭 Marco Odermatt (SUI) | 🇮🇹 Florian Schieder (ITA) |
| Wengen (SUI) | 🇨🇭 Marco Odermatt (SUI) | 🇦🇹 Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT) | 🇮🇹 Giovanni Franzoni (ITA) |
| Kitzbühel (AUT) | 🇮🇹 Giovanni Franzoni (ITA) | 🇨🇭 Marco Odermatt (SUI) | 🇫🇷 Maxence Muzaton (FRA) |
TOP FIVE — Men’s Downhill Standings (after Kitzbühel, 2025–26)
- 1st 🇨🇭 Marco Odermatt (SUI, 1997, Stöckli) — 460 pts
- 2nd 🇨🇭 Franjo von Allmen (SUI, 2001, Head) — −165
- 3rd 🇮🇹 Giovanni Franzoni (ITA, 2001) — −244
- 3rd 🇮🇹 Dominik Paris (ITA, 1989, Nordica / Marker) — −244
- 5th 🇮🇹 Florian Schieder (ITA, 1995, Atomic) — −270
TOP SEVEN — WCSL Downhill
Note: Vincent Kriechmayr, AUT, who is training in Saalbach for the Olympics, is not on the Crans-Montana start list, so the “top-seven entered” set shifts.
- Bib 7 🇮🇹 Florian Schieder (ITA, 1995, Atomic) — WCSL DH Rank: 5
- Bib 8 🇮🇹 Dominik Paris (ITA, 1989, Nordica / Marker) — WCSL DH Rank: 3
- Bib 9 🇫🇷 Nils Allègre (FRA, 1994) — WCSL DH Rank: 7
- Bib 10 🇨🇭 Marco Odermatt (SUI, 1997, Stöckli) — WCSL DH Rank: 1
- Bib 12 🇮🇹 Giovanni Franzoni (ITA, 2001) — WCSL DH Rank: 3
- Bib 15 🇨🇭 Franjo von Allmen (SUI, 2001, Head) — WCSL DH Rank: 2
- Bib 16 🇫🇷 Maxence Muzaton (FRA, 1990) — WCSL DH Rank: 8
🇺🇸 United States (USA) — Men’s Downhill start list (bib order)
The big U.S. note coming in is Kitzbühel: Erik Arvidsson (tied 19th) and Wiley Maple (tied 19th) (independent) were the best U.S. results, and neither is headed to the Olympics — strong outcomes, unfortunately, one race too late to change the Bormio selections.
- Bib 4 🇺🇸 Bryce Bennett (USA, 1992, Oakley) — DH Rank: 41
- Bib 14 🇺🇸 Ryan Cochran-Siegle (USA, 1992, Head) — DH Rank: 12
- Bib 36 🇺🇸 Wiley Maple (USA, 1997, Atomic) — DH Rank: 46 — skis independently (not Stifel U.S. Ski Team)
- Bib 41 🇺🇸 Kyle Negomir (USA, 1998, Atomic) — DH Rank: 25
- Bib 42 🇺🇸 Jared Goldberg (USA, 1991) — (no DH points this season)
- Bib 44 🇺🇸 Erik Arvidsson (USA, 1996, Head) — DH Rank: 46
- Bib 51 🇺🇸 Sam Morse (USA, 1996) — DH Rank: 49
- Bib 59 🇺🇸 Isaiah Nelson (USA, 2001, SHRED)
🇨🇦 Canada (CAN) — Men’s Downhill start list (bib order)
For Canada, it’s two diverging arcs: Cameron Alexander continues a return to form, while the season has brought a puzzling lack of top-end speed from James Crawford. The hope is that Alexander keeps building toward Bormio, and Crawford finds his traditional pace in time.
- Bib 2 🇨🇦 Cameron Alexander (CAN, 1997) — DH Rank: 15
- Bib 3 🇨🇦 James Crawford (CAN, 1997, Head) — DH Rank: 36
- Bib 25 🇨🇦 Brodie Seger (CAN, 1995, Atomic) — DH Rank: 42
- Bib 37 🇨🇦 Jeffrey Read (CAN, 1997, Atomic) — DH Rank: 53
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🇬🇧 Great Britain (GBR) — Men’s Downhill start list
This will be a World Cup debut for Owen Vinter, who is making his first-ever World Cup start in Crans-Montana.
- Bib 58 🇬🇧 Owen Vinter (GBR, 2001) — World Cup rookie; first career WC start
Sunday’s downhill takes place on February 1st and begins at 5:00 a.m. ET / 2:00 a.m. PT. Fans in Great Britain can watch the race at 10:00
How to Watch
- 🇺🇸 United States: Live and replay coverage on Ski and Snowboard Live
- 🇨🇦 Canada: Live streaming on CBC Sports.
- 🇬🇧 Great Britain: Both races air live on Discovery+
Daily Program
Click on the image to download
Men’s Start List
About the Author: Peter Lange
