Marco Odermatt’s preparation for a season filled with historic possibilities has hit an unexpected pause.
The five-time defending overall World Cup champion suffered what Swiss-Ski described as a “minor muscle injury” during athletic training last week. The injury prevented Odermatt from traveling with the Swiss team to its training camp in Chile on Monday.
Odermatt reported pain during the training session before undergoing examinations at the Hirslanden Clinic in Zurich. Swiss-Ski did not disclose which muscle he injured or provide a timetable for his return.
Therapy and rehabilitation are now the priorities. The federation said it will adjust Odermatt’s preseason plan once he can resume on-snow training.
According to skinews.ch, a later trip to South America remains possible, although no decision has been announced.
No Indication Sölden Is in Jeopardy
The lack of a recovery timeline creates some uncertainty, but Swiss-Ski has not indicated that Odermatt could miss the World Cup opener.
The men’s 2026-27 season begins with the traditional giant slalom in Sölden, Austria, on Oct. 25. That gives Odermatt nearly eight weeks to recover and rebuild his on-snow preparation.
Still, missing part of the Chile camp is significant. Southern Hemisphere training provides reliable winter conditions and extended access to full-length courses. Those opportunities have become increasingly valuable as warm weather reduces summer training options on European glaciers.
Before the injury, Odermatt had been training on the Theodul Glacier above Zermatt. The glacier remained available exclusively to Swiss national team athletes this summer through an agreement between Swiss-Ski and Zermatt Bergbahnen AG.
Odermatt’s injury is an unusual interruption for a racer whose durability and consistency have helped define his dominance.
Another Historic Season Ahead
The 28-year-old enters the season pursuing a sixth consecutive overall World Cup title. Only Marcel Hirscher, who won eight straight from 2012 through 2019, has earned more men’s overall crowns.
Odermatt won nine World Cup races last season and secured the overall, downhill and super-G globes. He has collected 16 globes over the past four seasons.
His career numbers already place him among the greatest men in alpine skiing history. Odermatt has earned 54 World Cup victories across downhill, super-G and giant slalom, tying Hermann Maier for third on the men’s all-time list. His 102 podiums also rank third among men and are the most by any Swiss skier.
Odermatt left the Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games without a gold medal but earned three medals. He won silver in giant slalom and team combined, along with bronze in super-G. Those results increased his career Olympic total to four medals, including his 2022 Beijing giant slalom gold.
He is also a world champion in all three disciplines he races. Odermatt won downhill and giant slalom gold at the 2023 World Championships in Courchevel-Méribel before adding the super-G title in Saalbach in 2025.
Home World Championships Raise the Stakes
The centerpiece of the coming season will arrive on home snow. Crans-Montana will host the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships from Feb. 1-14, bringing the championships back to the Swiss resort for the first time since 1987.
Odermatt will enter as a potential gold-medal contender in downhill, super-G and giant slalom. He will also have an opportunity to defend all three of his world titles in front of a Swiss crowd.
Before then, he will chase several major World Cup goals. None carries more personal importance than the Kitzbühel downhill. Odermatt has finished second on the Streif three times but has yet to win skiing’s most coveted downhill.
For now, those ambitions remain distant. Odermatt’s immediate challenge is to recover, return to snow and regain the rhythm that has helped make him the world’s dominant men’s racer.
The injury has interrupted an important part of his preparation. At this stage, however, there is no indication that it will diminish the historic possibilities awaiting him this winter.
Sources: Swiss-Ski, Snow Sports News, skinews.ch and FIS
About the Author: Matt Garcka
