Featured Image: Val Gardena Podium. Credit: GEPA
The second day of racing in Val Gardena/Gröden kicked off for the men following an exhilarating super-G event where Mattia Casse triumphed on his home snow.
Today, the focus shifted to the thrilling downhill race. Last season, the men faced off in two downhill events on the Saslong track, featuring both a shortened and a full-length course.
The 2025 downhill season began at the famous Birds of Prey, where two Swiss competitors dominated the podium. Justin Murisier celebrated his first World Cup victory, while Marco Odermatt secured second.
Marco Odermatt approached today with determination to secure another downhill victory. The Swiss superstar worked the terrain and continued to ramp up through the whole course. His full-throttle push through the final gates helped him secure a dominating lead (-0.45).
This victory represents his third in downhill and his inaugural win on the thrilling Saslong track.
He stated, “I had my perfect run, but you never know what will happen in Val Gardena.”
Odermatt now moves on top of the overall FIS World Cup standings.
The Podium
Before Odermatt came through the finish, the times were extremely close, with only 0.03 separating the top 3 men.
Franjo Von Allmen was fourth out of the gate and held the lead until Odermatt came through the finish. The 23-year-old achieved his top downhill result last season in the Kvitfjell World Cup, finishing in 5th place.
Impressively, this race marks Von Allmen’s first downhill podium and his second podium of his career.
Marco Odermatt explained that sharing the podium with a teammate is always special. He stated, “I think for the team spirit and celebrating with the whole team afterwards always has more emotions.”
“It is very cool for the downhill group to have a podium together and to celebrate together,” he continued.
The Stifel US Ski Team athlete, Ryan Cochran-Siegle, ignited out of the start and was fast through the top section. He nailed the lower part of the track through the Ciaslet meadow.
Cochran-Siegle finished the day in third place, +0.46 off the lead. The 32-year-old achieved his first and only downhill podium on this track in 2020, finishing in 2nd place. This marks his second downhill podium and the third top-3 of his career.
This was the second podium finish of the weekend for the Stifel US Ski Team, with Jared Goldberg achieving 2nd place.
Cochran-Siegle stated, “Yeah, it feels good. I think Gardena is a really challenging hill to ski.”
“I’ve had runs here where I thought I put down a good one and was seconds out. So you really never know until you cross the finish line,” he continued.
Track Speeds Up
As the race continued, the snow became warmer and the light got better. This gave the later athletes the chance to move up and score their best results. This is not unusual for this event, as many attack-from-the-back upsets have occurred in previous years.
The shifting conditions create an exhilarating experience for fans while also heightening the tension for elite athletes as those who compete later approach the possibility of claiming the top position.
The highest bib number to move into the top 10 was Stefan Eichberger, wearing bib-56. This was the athlete’s fifth World Cup start and third in downhill. Eichberger secured his best result of his World Cup career, finishing the day in 6th place.
Slovenian Martin Cater was another high bib number that entered into the top 10. He started wearing bib 42 and concluded in 5th place. The 32-year-old Olympian has achieved one downhill victory in his World Cup career in 2020 on the Val D’Isère track. However, Cater has not been in the top 10 of a downhill since 2022. This was a stellar performance for the athlete.
Additionally, German veteran Romed Baumann, who started 31st, secured 7th position.
North Americans
The North Americans had a strong day on the thrilling Saslong track, with five in the top 30, four athletes securing a top-15 result.
Following Cochran-Siegle’s podium finish, his teammate, Bryce Bennett, emerged as the next leading North American competitor, securing 8th place. Alpine Canada Alpin athlete, Cameron Alexander was a mere +0.03 behind Bennett, finishing in 9th place.
Starting bib-50, Brodie Seger of Alpine Canada Alpin was having a winning run until the final section of the course. Nevertheless, he held onto his speed through the final turns, moving up 40 spots, clinching onto 11th place.
Stifel US Ski Team racer, Erik Arvidsson who is having a comeback season from injury raced through the finish with a strong result, concluding the day in 23rd place. This marks Arvidsson’s fourth downhill top-30 and a confidence boost for the US athlete heading into the rest of the season.
Top 30 Race Results
Top Three Analysis
North American Analysis
About the Author: Ellie Hartman
