Dominik Paris: GEPA pictures
Paris Shatters the Swiss Stronghold in Kvitfjell
The sun shone brightly over Kvitfjell, setting the stage for a high-speed showdown on the legendary Olympiabakken track. With firm snow and crystal-clear visibility, racers had the confidence to attack, knowing that only a fearless run could secure victory.
Rogentin Sets the Early Pace
Switzerland’s Stefan Rogentin, wearing bib 4, wasted no time in laying down the gauntlet. His aggressive, powerful start saw him dominate Sector 1, establishing himself as the early man to beat. He carried smooth speed and excellent timing through the course, setting a strong benchmark of 1:45.30.
Then came the Swiss reinforcements. Newly crowned world champion Franjo Von Allmen looked like a serious threat, gradually reeling in Rogentin through the middle sections. But he ran out of track, crossing the line in second, 0.20 seconds back.
Odermatt Takes Control—But Not for Long
The biggest Swiss name in the field, season downhill leader Marco Odermatt, followed. Skiing with fantastic timing and controlled aggression, he used his signature smooth execution to take the lead. As he crossed the finish, his brilliant execution and top speed made him look like the skier to beat.
But Friday had other plans.
Italy’s Paris Powers to the Top
Just when it seemed like another Swiss sweep was on the horizon, Dominik Paris stormed onto the course. The Italian veteran, fresh off a Crans-Montana super-G podium, attacked the high-speed track with relentless power. He rocketed through Sector 1, took risks in the turns, and delivered excellent skiing in every section.
By the time he crossed the line, Paris had shattered Odermatt’s lead with a winning time of 1:44.67.
With ten racers down, Italy was on top, while Switzerland filled the next four spots. But the battle wasn’t over yet.
Italy Leads, Bennett Crashes the Swiss Party
As the next wave of racers pushed out of the start gate, the leaderboard remained unchanged at the top. With Daniel Hemetsberger unable to start, the first real challenge came from Bryce Bennett of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team.
The 6-foot-7 American brought his signature power and fearlessness, carving a fast, aggressive line through the middle sections. His second-fastest time in Sector 3 showcased his ability to attack technical terrain while maintaining speed. His determination never wavered despite losing fractions of time in the lower sections.
When he crossed the line, Bennett slotted into sixth, 1.06 seconds behind Paris—the only non-Swiss racer inside the top six.
With Italy standing firm at the top and Switzerland stacking the podium fight, the battle for victory remained wide open. But for now, Paris had set the standard, forcing the remaining contenders to ski at the edge of possibility if they wanted to steal the win.
Switzerland Stacked, but Paris Holds the Lead
After 22 racers, the standings barely shifted, proving just how strong the early contenders had been. The only real shake-up came from Norway’s Adrian Smiseth Sejersted, who delivered for the home crowd, sneaking into sixth place just ahead of Bennett. The Stifel U.S. Ski Team racer had held firm in sixth for much of the race, but the Norwegian’s aggressive, high-risk run pushed him down to seventh.
Italy’s Paris remained unchallenged at the top of the leaderboard, looking increasingly likely to become just the second non-Swiss skier to win a men’s World Cup downhill this season. Switzerland still owned the podium fight, stacking the following four positions: Odermatt, Rogentin, Von Allmen, and Alexis Monney, sitting second through fifth.
With the final challengers preparing to start, the battle wasn’t over, but Paris had set the standard, and the Swiss looked set to dominate everything but the victory itself.
Paris Clinches Victory, Switzerland Crowds the Podium
The race is official—Paris has claimed his first World Cup win of the season, delivering a powerful, fearless run to secure his 19th career downhill victory. The Italian veteran proved unstoppable, holding onto his top spot with a winning time of 1:44.67, making him just the second non-Swiss skier to win a men’s World Cup downhill this season.
The victory was also Paris’s fourth career downhill win in Kvitfjell, further solidifying his dominance on this track.
Switzerland still owned the podium fight but not the win. Odermatt stormed into second place, finishing 0.32 seconds behind Paris, while Rogentin held on for third for his first downhill podium of the season, rounding out the top three.
Dominik Paris on His Victory and Season Turnaround
“I was clear on what I had to do at the end. I tried to push without over-pushing, and maybe I was a bit lucky with the wind—there was a lot of wind on the course today. But overall, it was a super heavy run.”
Paris has a special connection to Kvitfjell, where he has celebrated multiple victories. When asked which win he cherishes the most, he couldn’t pick just one.
“I like all of them! It’s so nice skiing down here—it’s totally different from Kitzbühel, but I really like this course. It has all the bumps and jumps, and you have to breathe smoothly and always bring speed. It’s just such a nice track to ski.”
After a tough start to the season, Paris made key changes to regain his form.
“The good thing was that after Bormio, I figured out what I needed to change in my setup to get back to a good feeling and be fast again. Then I had to work on myself—to ski well, stay over my skis, and finally, in the last few races, I was really good but not consistent. Today, though, I had it dialed in from top to finish.”
Mentally, it was a challenge to push through the difficult moments.
“After Bormio, I had some really tough days. I had to think a lot and figure out what was going wrong. I went back to my old equipment to see if it was me—or if it was just my age catching up! In the end, the feeling started coming back, and I just kept pushing, trying to find a way to get closer to the top guys. Finally, I felt like I was back on the right path.”
After Swiss skiers dominated nearly every race this season, Paris relished standing in front of them on the leaderboard.
“It feels nice! They’ve won everything this season—from downhill to super-G, just everything—so it’s nice to be the one standing in front today.”
Marco Odermatt on His Podium Finish and Season Goals
“I’m very, very happy with my race today—this was by far my personal best downhill in Kvitfjell. The conditions weren’t classic winter snow, but I made it work, and I’ll definitely take that result.”
“It’s hard to say exactly what worked so well, but I knew I could make a big step in these kinds of downhills. I already showed it in VAl Gardena, Wengen, and Crans-Montana—on the slightly easier downhills, I can be fast as well. That’s something I’ve worked on, and it’s nice to see it paying off.”
“For the downhill globe, this was an important race. I’m trying to keep Franjo (Von Allmen) at a little bit of a distance because he’s incredibly fast and capable of winning any race. If you want to win globes, you have to score the big points, and today was good for both the downhill and overall World Cup standings. Podium finishes are what matter most in the title fight.”
“Four races in three different disciplines and always on the podium—it’s very cool, but it’s also very difficult!”
Swiss Strength in Numbers
The Swiss dominance continued just outside the podium, as Von Allmen took fourth, and Monney finished fifth, making it four Swiss skiers in the top five. While Odermatt missed the victory, he extended his lead in the season’s downhill standings, finishing two spots ahead of his closest rival and teammate, Von Allmen.
At sixth place, Adrian Smiseth Sejersted gave the Norwegian fans something to cheer for, delivering a strong home-soil performance. Bryce Bennett, the top American, held onto seventh place, staying within 1.06 seconds of the winning time.
With the season winding down, Paris’s victory puts him back in the spotlight, while Switzerland further cements its dominance in downhill skiing.
North Americans in the Top 30
Two North Americans powered into the top 10, with Bennett leading the way in seventh and Ryan Cochran-Siegle securing 10th. Despite challenging conditions and a spring-like surface, both racers found ways to execute strong runs and walk away with valuable World Cup points.
For Wiley Maple, it was a breakthrough performance. The U.S. independent racer finally scored his first downhill points of the season, finishing 21st. Sam Morse continued his consistent season, placing 24th and adding to his World Cup total.
James Crawford ran into trouble toward the bottom on the Canadian side but still managed to salvage a few points, finishing 26th. His teammate, Brodie Seger, rounded out the North American contingent in the top 30, landing in 28th place.
The North American squad showed depth and resilience, with strong results. They’ll have another chance to push for even better performances in tomorrow’s downhill.
Bryce Bennett on His Run and Finding His Form
“Today was difficult. I felt like I was in shambles a little bit, even coming into this week. Technically, I was struggling to find the right feeling on my skis. We did some GS training yesterday, talked with the coaches, and tried to narrow in a focus for today. But in the training run, we were testing some things that didn’t quite work out, so going into the race, it almost felt like I was going in blind. That said, I’ve skied this hill a bunch, so it wasn’t too bad.”
“I made some minor mistakes, and that’s been plaguing me all season—just making stupid mistakes in stupid places. But when I look at my skiing overall, it’s there. I just need to put the run together.”
“I’m feeling positive for tomorrow. The snow is soft, super springy, and warm—definitely abnormal weather for Kvitfjell. But the hill feels safe, and it’s not crazy high-speed. I’m excited for another shot at it.”
Ryan Cochran-Siegle on His Run and Conditions in Kvitfjell
“I had a good, smooth approach up top, but didn’t make the best turn coming into the key pitch, so there was definitely some time to be found there. Overall, I trusted my movements and felt like I was doing a good job driving and staying aerodynamic. There’s always room to improve, but I can still be proud of where I’m at right now.”
“The wind was a bit gusty at the top, shifting at different angles depending on where you were. It seemed to be picking up on the flats, with guys losing time there. The warm temps made the snow feel really springlike, so you just had to race the race. Having an early start seemed to help, but at the same time, Dom (Paris) won from bib 10, so it wasn’t just about the start order. It was a fun track today, and it’s always great coming to Norway with the friendly atmosphere and unique conditions. Hopefully, we get another good race tomorrow.”
Wiley Maple Scores First Downhill Points of the Season
Wiley Maple finally broke through in Kvitfjell, scoring his first downhill points of the season with a 21st-place finish.
“It actually felt all right. There aren’t a lot of times where I cross the line and think, ‘Yeah, that was decent,’ but today I felt like I did all right. Sometimes you finish and immediately know it wasn’t good, but today it matched how I felt on the run, so that was nice.”
The warm temperatures and shifting wind conditions made for a challenging race, but Maple managed to put together a strong effort.
“It was tough racing today with the slush and some headwinds. This is usually a really tight race, with the top 30 all within 1.5 seconds, so I’m glad that either I caught some good weather or skied well—or both. It’s been a rough season so far, but it feels good to get one of these results and hopefully finish on a strong note.”
Looking ahead to the next race, Maple is focused on sticking to his plan and building on this performance.
“The same focus applies—be patient, stand on it, and execute. It’s a simple track, so no need to do anything crazy. Just charge a little harder, stand on it a bit better, and see what happens.”
Top 30 Finishers
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Run Analysis: Top Three Performers and North Americans in the Top Thirty
About the Author: Peter Lange
