Vincent Kriechmayr / GEPA pictures
2026 Hahnenkamm Kitzbühel Downhill Start List: Swiss Control, Streif History, and the Sport’s Ultimate Test
The 2026 Hahnenkamm Kitzbühel downhill runs Saturday, Jan. 24, on the Streif, the most feared and coveted course in alpine ski racing. With 58 competitors from 17 nations, the fifth men’s downhill of the 2025–26 World Cup season brings dominant favorites, fragile momentum, and a course that defines careers.
Winning the Streif is different. For downhill skiers, this race is the Super Bowl of alpine ski racing — the most coveted single victory in the sport.
Men’s World Cup Downhill Podium Table — 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) |
Men’s World Cup Downhill Season Standings — Top 5
- 1st — 🇨🇭 Marco Odermatt (SUI) — 380 pts — Stöckli
- 2nd — 🇨🇭 Franjo von Allmen (SUI) — 280 pts — HEAD
- 3rd — 🇮🇹 Dominik Paris (ITA) — 180 pts — Nordica
- 4th — 🇦🇹 Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT) — 152 pts — HEAD
- 5th — 🇮🇹 Florian Schieder (ITA) — 140 pts — Atomic
Top 7 World Cup Start List (WCSL) — Ordered by Bib Number
The seven most reliable downhill performers over the past 12 months — and the most likely podium contenders — while acknowledging that the Streif resists predictability.
- Bib 8 — 🇺🇸 Ryan Cochran-Siegle (USA) — YOB 1992 — DH WCSL rank 9 — HEAD
- Bib 10 — 🇨🇭 Alexis Monney (SUI) — YOB 2000 — DH WCSL rank 4 — Stöckli
- Bib 11 — 🇮🇹 Dominik Paris (ITA) — YOB 1989 — DH WCSL rank 3 — Nordica / Marker
- Bib 12 — 🇨🇭 Marco Odermatt (SUI) — YOB 1997 — DH WCSL rank 1 — Stöckli
- Bib 13 — 🇨🇭 Franjo von Allmen (SUI) — YOB 2001 — DH WCSL rank 2 — HEAD
- Bib 14 — 🇫🇷 Nils Allègre (FRA) — YOB 1994 — DH WCSL rank 6
- Bib 15 — 🇦🇹 Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT) — YOB 1991 — DH WCSL rank 5 — HEAD
Swiss Dominance Meets Streif Reality
Two Swiss men lead the downhill standings, with Marco Odermatt firmly in control. The two-time defending World Cup downhill champion leads the 2025–26 standings and has won three of the four downhills raced this season, setting the benchmark in men’s speed racing.
Yet downhill offers no guarantees — especially on the Streif.
Streif History: Why This Race Is Different
Only one U.S. man has won a World Cup Streif downhill: Daron Rahlves in 2003. Long before the World Cup era, Buddy Werner won in 1959, conquering the course from the top in 2:33.40 — a victory that remains essential Streif history.
The modern course record of 1:51.59, set by Fritz Strobl in 1997, highlights how speed and equipment have evolved while increasing the challenge.
Canada’s Streif legacy is deep, with wins by Ken Read (1980), Steve Podborski (1981, 1982), Todd Brooker (1983), and most recently James Crawford in 2025.
Canada’s Interrupted Momentum
Last season, Canada placed two athletes on the Hahnenkamm downhill podium, signaling momentum heading into an Olympic cycle. That trajectory stalled when Cameron Alexander was injured and Crawford struggled for consistency.
Crawford returns as the reigning Hahnenkamm champion, racing here for the first time since his name was placed on a gondola car. This season has been difficult: 38th in the downhill standings with 17 points, with a best finish of 23rd. Whether returning to the site of his career-defining victory can reset his form is one of the race’s central questions.
Streif Anatomy: Where Races Are Won and Lost
The Streif tests all downhill skills and endurance under fear. The Mausefalle, Steilhang, and Hausberg remain the defining challenges, with the Hausberg coming after nearly 1:40 of skiing already in the legs. Fatigue and speed collide late, and mistakes rarely recover.
USA roster — Men’s Downhill
All U.S. athletes entered on the Streif represent the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, except Wiley Maple, who is racing independently.
- Bib 8 — 🇺🇸 Ryan Cochran-Siegle (USA) — YOB 1992 — DH season rank 9 — 96 pts — HEAD
- Bib 17 — 🇺🇸 Bryce Bennett (USA) — YOB 1992 — DH season rank 36 — 19 pts — Oakley
- Bib 37 — 🇺🇸 Wiley Maple (USA) — YOB 1994 — Independent — Atomic
- Bib 43 — 🇺🇸 Kyle Negomir (USA) — YOB 1998 — DH season rank 23 — 39 pts — Atomic
- Bib 45 — 🇺🇸 Erik Arvidsson (USA) — YOB 1996 — HEAD
- Bib 51 — 🇺🇸 Sam Morse (USA) — YOB 1996 — DH season rank 43 — 7 pts — Toko
Canada — Men’s Downhill
- Bib 18 — 🇨🇦 Cameron Alexander (CAN) — YOB 1997 — DH season rank 16 — 62 pts
- Bib 19 — 🇨🇦 James Crawford (CAN) — YOB 1997 — DH season rank 38 — 17 pts — HEAD
- Bib 21 — 🇨🇦 Brodie Seger (CAN) — YOB 1995 — DH season rank 39 — 16 pts — Atomic
- Bib 38 — 🇨🇦 Jeffrey Read (CAN) — YOB 1997 — Atomic
Great Britain
- Bib 56 — 🇬🇧 Roy-Alexander Steudle (GBR) — YOB 1993 — Atomic — GB Snowsport
A Race That Defines Careers
The 2026 Hahnenkamm downhill is not just another World Cup start. It is the race that defines legacies, restores belief, and exposes hesitation. By the time racers drop into the Hausberg, the Streif decides who belongs among its legends.
How to Watch
The men’s Kitzbühel Streif downhill gets underway on Saturday, January 24th, with the start scheduled for 5:30 a.m. EST / 2:30 a.m. PST / 10:30 UK time
- 🇺🇸 United States: Live and replay coverage on Peacocktv
- 🇨🇦 Canada: Live stream on CBC Sports
- 🇬🇧 Great Britain: Live coverage on Discovery+, starting at 10:30 a.m. UK time
Daily Program
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Men’s Start List
About the Author: Peter Lange
