Odermatt Exits Early as Hirscher Returns in Thrilling Sölden Opener

Odermatt’s Early Exit Opens the Field

On Oct. 27, under blue skies and in front of 15,000 fans, Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt, last season’s GS title winner, pushed out of the start gate first in the men’s GS. Near the top of the pitch, however, the usually precise Odermatt lost grip on his outside ski and skied out, ending his chance at an opening victory.

Odermatt explained, “I felt good out of the first gate, so I knew bib No. 1. I really wanted to push, go all in, and show everyone I’m still here. But, yeah, I definitely risked too much on the steepest part. I went too straight over that little roll and wasn’t on my outside ski.”

Top Contenders Respond Strongly

With the door open, the rest of the top seven skied strong. However, Loic Meillard, the only other GS winner from last season and Odermatt’s teammate, couldn’t start due to a back issue that flared up in warm-ups, leaving the race wide open.

Olsen Leads First Run

At the end of the first run, Norway’s Alexander Steen Olsen, 23, recently limited in training by knee pain, posted the fastest time. He holds a 0.02-second lead over Croatia’s Filip Zubcic and a 0.08-second edge over his Norwegian teammate Henrik Kristoffersen. Norway placed three skiers among the top five in the first run.

Strong Showing from U.S. Athletes

The first 15 skiers performed well in excellent conditions, with 11 finishing within 1.26 seconds of each other. River Radamus of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team initially held eighth, 0.92 seconds behind Steen Olsen, but later dropped to ninth. Among the first 15 racers, 11 finished, one did not start, and three did not finish.

The second Stifel U.S. Ski Team racer, Tommy Ford, with bib 24, skied well, crossing the line 1.71 seconds behind Steen Olsen in 16th place. He finished the morning qualifying in 20th.

No other North Americans could ski fast enough to qualify.

Historic Return: Hirscher Brings the Crowd to Life

The most anticipated moment of the first run came when Marcel Hirscher, skiing for the Netherlands, entered with bib 34. The superstar’s anticipated return to the World Cup circuit after retirement drew cheers from the crowd. Hirscher, now skiing “for experiences,” attacked the course and finished with the 26th-fastest time, securing a place in the afternoon finale. His run highlighted his lasting talent and brought extra energy to the event.

Top Performers Among Late Starters

Six racers with start numbers above 30 qualified for the afternoon finale. Germany’s Jonas Stockinger, wearing bib 39, led this group with the 18th-fastest time. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, now skiing for Brazil and holding the highest qualifying bib of 41, followed in 19th. The 30 qualifiers were separated by just 2.54 seconds. Both Norway and Switzerland have five men qualified for the second run.

Top 30 First-Run Results: Analysis of the Three Fastest Racers and Qualified North Americans

First-Run Insights: Fastest Three and North American Qualifiers from the Top 30