Featured Image: Beaver Creek super-G podium. Credit: GEPA
Last season, the Stifel Birds of Prey super-G got called off because of unsafe weather conditions. But today, the conditions were ideal for the men as they aimed for a top finish on the challenging Beaver Creek course.
The Swiss superstar, Marco Odermatt, pushed out of the start, wearing bib-15, and attacked the race line from the beginning. The three-time super-G globe winner skied a different line than the athletes before him, which looked risky. Nevertheless, he stuck to his race plan, maintained his composure and surged into the lead.
After six competitors in the top 15 failed to complete their runs on the difficult course, Odermatt took the feedback and executed flawlessly.
Odermatt explained that even after the high DNF rate he still remained confident in his inspection. He stated, “I had a really clear plan in my mind.”
“After I didn’t finish in Sölden, this was a very important weekend for me. With two podiums and one victory like this, I will definitely take it. I will take all the energy into one GS tomorrow,” Odermatt stated.
The Podium
Cyprien Sarrazin, wearing bib-12, was pushing the line and showcasing his signature full-throttle approach. He was searching for his tuck throughout the entire course and revealing strength as he was holding onto the challenging line. He concluded the day with a 2nd-place result.
This was Sarrazin’s second podium finish in super-G and his eighth podium on the World Cup circuit.
Sarrazin triumphed in the Wengen super-G last year, marking his first win in the discipline. This was another excellent finish for Sarrazin, revealing a promising start to this season.
Wearing bib-24, Lukas Feurstein of Austria punched it through the critical sections and picked up speed in the final gates. He rounded out the podium, +0.47 off of Odermatt.
This marks the first podium finish of the 23-year-old’s career. Prior to today, his best result was a 6th-place finish in the 2023 Cortina d’Ampezzo super-G.
Feurstein’s performance knocked his teammate, Vincent Kriechmeyer, off the podium. Kriechmeyer was in contention for a victory on this track, being the only other man in the field that has won in a Beaver Creek super-G. Kriechmeyer finished the day in 6th place, +0.81 off the lead.
A Tie for Fourth Place
Two athletes outside of the top 30, Italian Giovanni Franzoni (bib-39) and Norwegian Fredrik Moeller (bib-32), finished the day in a tie for 4th place. Only six-tenths off Odermatt’s lead, these two achieved their career-best results.
Franzoni’s top result was a 22nd place in the Bormio World Cup super-G, and Moeller’s best result was a 21st place in the 2023 Val Gardena World Cup. This was a big leap for these two athletes, showing that they have a chance to conquer a podium this season.
North Americans
Stifel US Ski Team’s Promising Day
The Stifel US Ski Team had a promising day with several strong results.
The Ski and Snowboard Club Vail native, River Radamus of the Stifel US Ski Team, was sending it on the challenging track. Last season, Radamus achieved 8th place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, which marked his top result. Today, he was able to match that result.
Radamus stated, “From the start we can hear the crowd go crazy at the bottom, so that is a really special feeling.”
His teammate, Ryan Cochran-Siegle, misjudged the line at the start of the course, causing his upper body to hit the panel. After he adjusted his helmet and goggles, he maintained his composure and focused on regaining time for the remainder of the course. With the second fastest times in the final two sections, he ultimately finished in 11th place.
Cochran-Siegle stated, “I was still trying to focus on my run and do what I could. I had some good skiing at the bottom, which was cool to do.”
Additionally, Stifel US Ski Team athlete Kyle Negomir was full-throttle from the top to the bottom, revealing his drive to get onto the leaderboard. Negomir had his top super-G finish of his career at the Kvitfjell World Cup last season, finishing in 12th place. Today, he was wearing bib-23 and was able to achieve 19th place.
Wearing Bib-21, Sam Morse of the Stifel US Ski Team finished the downhill in 21st place, which was his 11th top-30 downhill result. He came into the super-G ready to execute, although he has not been on the Birds of Prey super-G track since 2017. He finished the day in 31st.
Bryce Bennett showed technical strength after achieving a top-10 finish on the track in the downhill. He brought that momentum onto the track today. Through the mid-section of the course, Bennett showed potential for another top-10 but unfortunately lost time through the last few turns. He finished the day in 28th place.
Jared Goldberg also showed intensity and determination today but was off his line in a few sections of the course, which caused him to lose some speed. He finished the day in 37th place.
Erik Arvidsson was making a strong effort in his comeback super-G run, having missed the previous season due to injury. Regrettably, he encountered trouble at the Golden Eagle jump. He skillfully ducked under the panel and managed to navigate off the course safely but ultimately could not complete the race.
Challenging Day for Alpine Canada Alpin
The Canadians had a challenging day of super-G, with only one athlete finishing the course.
The only athlete from Alpine Canada Alpin to finish the course was Brodie Seger. Seger, starting bib-54, was able to pull through for the Canadian team, finishing the day in 21st place.
The first Canadian out of the start gate was James ‘Jack’ Crawford of Alpine Canada Alpin. He had a great first day in the downhill, achieving 4th place, +0.16 off the podium.
He carried that confidence into today, igniting out from the start with intensity. His top section was showing promise, five-tenths faster than the lead. However, he clipped a panel coming into Russi’s Ride and was thrown into the A-net. His airbag did deploy, but he was able to sit up and wave to signal he was alright.
His teammate, Jeffrey Read, was looking confident on the upper part of the course. Last season, the Alpine Canada Alpin athlete secured his best finish at the Kvitfjell World Cup super-G, where he claimed 2nd place. Unfortunately, he fell into the same trap as a few other athletes, failing to navigate the line over the Screech Owl Jump and skiing out.
Cameron Alexander, Riley Seger, and Kyle Alexander were also exuding confidence but lost their way in blind sections of the course, which caused them to not be able to finish.
Sadly, the independent US racer, Wiley Maple, missed a gate at the beginning of the course.
Back-to-Back Stifel Bibbo Award
Jan Zabystran from the Czech Republic succeeded in achieving the first back-to-back Stifel Bibbo Award. This prestigious award is given to the athlete who improves the most from their initial bib number. Zabystran began the day with bib number 48 and finished in 12th place. In the downhill event, the 26-year-old started from 54th and climbed to 11th place. His outstanding performance in the speed races this weekend will earn him a total of $10,000, with $5,000 awarded for each Bibbo Award.
Top 30 Results
Analysis of the Top Three
Analysis of the Top North Americans
About the Author: Ellie Hartman
